Robotic surgery is a type of minimally invasive surgery that performs procedures through multiple tiny incisions. It can also be used in certain traditional open surgical procedures, although that is less common. Robotic surgery, also called robot-assisted surgery, allows many types of complex procedures to be carried out with more precision, flexibility, and control than with conventional techniques.

Robotic surgery has been rapidly adopted by hospitals across the country since it has been approved by the FDA in 2000. The most widely-used clinical robotic surgical system uses a camera arm and mechanical arms with surgical instruments attached to them. How it works is the surgeon controls the robotic arms at a computer console near the operating table. The console gives the surgeon a high-definition, magnified, 3-D view of the surgical site from the cameras.

The robotic system has allowed surgeons to perform procedures with increased precision, flexibility, and control during the operation because of increased visibility of the surgical site. Robotic surgery makes minimally invasive surgery possible, with multiple benefits for the patient, including fewer surgical complications, less pain and blood loss, quicker recovery, and smaller, less noticeable scars. Patients are typically able to leave the hospital after one to three days, depending on the type of robotic surgery that is performed.