047IC - Complications of Robotic Urological Surgery: Prevention, Recognition and Management

Robotic surgery in urology is growing rapidly. Robotic surgery is often perceived to be “glamorous” and the “in thing.” Many surgeons start doing robotic surgeries just because their hospital bought a new robot without being fully aware of the harm that is possible without proper training, awareness and exposure.

It is estimated that over 500,000 robotic procedures have been performed to date and growth in robotic procedures is expected to be about 10% per year. At the same time, there have been several reports and lawsuits pertaining to major complications from robotic surgery. It is imperative that urologists embarking upon a career involving robotic surgeries be aware of the potential complications, as well as how to prevent and manage them.

We all know that there is significant underreporting of complications and most trainees coming into practice have little knowledge and experience with dealing with robotic complications. Existing practitioners embark upon robotic surgeries not being aware of what harm is possible with little knowledge, few skills and limited experience. This course seeks to address this important gap between perception and reality.