The main topic of robotic surgery in urology is to remove the prostate harbouring localized cancer, namely to perform radical prostatectomy. The gold standard of this operation as yet is performed through a lower midline incision, and remains rather invasive. The da Vinci robot allows to work through a few 1cm incisions, which renders the procedure minimally invasive. Over 300 such operations have been now performed a tour institution by the Chief of the Division since early 2006. Patient outcome has been carefully monitored and recorded. This has shown the efficiency of the technique as communicated at the Congress of the Swiss Urologic Association in september 2008, so as in the 9th Zürich Symposium in January 2008.

A further valuable indication is reconstruction of the pyelo-ureteral junction (pyeloplasty) when it is obstructed. The da Vinci robot enables now to duplicate the gold standard of open surgery (over 90 % success) with the advanage of a minimally invasive access. Over fourty patients have been operated in our Division with this high success rate, with intermediary reports presented at the Congress of the Swiss Urologic Association in 2006 and 2007.

We have also been active in the reconstruction of the lower ureter (ureteral reimplantation with or without removal of a segment of ureter), 15 patients having benefited from minimally invasive ureteral reconstruction.

Partial ablation of the kidney for cancer has been the latest procedure to be routinely performed since the end of 2009; 15 procedures have been performed up to now with excellent results.