Washington University surgeons recently performed the world’s first single-incision robotic surgery (SIRS) to remove a patient’s kidney and a tumor measured at 12 centimeters.
Surgeons were able to remove the kidney and tumor through a single 8-centimeter incision through the patient’s belly button. The most common treatment option for kidney cancer is an open surgery generally requiring a large incision about a foot long to remove the kidney. Because of the smaller incision, recovery times are considered much faster with the SIRS procedure. Recovery is usually about two months with a weeklong hospital stay.