Wrocław. Innovative robotic operation. Ureter reconstruction using a mucosa from the cheek

The mucosa from the cheek was used to reconstruct the ureter. One of the few robotic operations in Poland took place during the visit of Professor Benjamin I. Chung from the Stanford University, one of the most experienced robotic surgery specialists in the USA, at the University Clinical Hospital in Wrocław.

According to the Medical University of Piastów Śląskie in Wrocław in the material posted on the website, Professor Chung came to the capital of Lower Silesia with a two -day visit. He observed and commented on six advanced operations carried out using the Da Vinci surgical robot.

The planned treatments included, among others: radical prostatectomy, kidney -saving tumor removal and an innovative ureteral reconstruction surgery using the mucosa transplant from the cheek – one of the few of this type in Poland.

800 robotic operations in two years

– We want to develop robotic surgery not only in terms of the number of treatments, but above all their quality and diversity. Meetings with outstanding experts, such as Professor Chung, is for our team an opportunity to exchange knowledge, assess the techniques used and further developing the treatment opportunities of people who trusted us, but not only – emphasizes Professor Bartosz Małkiewicz, head of the University of Robotic Surgery in Wrocław.

The DA Vinci system has been operating in the UK since July 2023. So far, over 800 operations with its use have already been carried out. The scope of treatments is extended to include innovative procedures, such as the plasticity of narrowed ureter in patients with advanced urological complications.

The material from the cheek was used to reconstruct the ureter

One of the novelties and at the same time a big challenge for operators is the plastic surgery of narrowing of the urinary tract. During Professor Chung's visit, Bartosz Małkiewicz operated over a 50-year-old patient who had been suffering from kidney stones for many years. As a result of many minimally invasive treatments and complications, he had ureter narrowing in the central part.

– The solution to this problem may be the transplant of the cheek mucosa into a narrowed wall of ureter – explains Professor Małkiewicz and adds that the patient was permanently assumed, because as a result of stopping urine outflow from the kidney, he could lose this kidney.

This is not a procedure performed in Poland routinely – there were only a few of them in our country. Observations made in other centers indicate, however, that the results of the operation are promising. However, the procedure is not covered by the refund. Undoubtedly, however, it indicates possible directions for the development of robotic surgery.

Robotic treatment improves the effectiveness of therapy

– Robot Da Vinci is a versatile surgical tool that allows precise operation in hard to reach places. Its use is not limited to prostatectomy. We can also treat many other urinary tract diseases. However, the appropriate financing model is of key importance – says Professor Tomasz Szydełko, director of the University Center for Urology and a national consultant in the field of urology.

As Professor Szydełko points out, shorter hospitalization time, less blood consumption and better functional results of patients are specific not only medical but also social benefits. Robotic treatment allows the patient to return to professional and family life faster, and also reduces the costs of long -term care.