Progress to Date

Minimally Invasive Surgery in Western New York

RPCI has been committed to developing a high quality minimally invasive surgery (MIS) program for our region. RPCI has expanded its program using two MIS suites, complete with laparoscopic and robotic equipment.

Quality and Safety Assurance

RPCI resources have been used to construct three databases and lay the foundation for our two additional multi-institutional databases needed. Our initial databases have contributed to the safe initiation of the RPCI Robotic Surgical Program. (No major complication or mortality has occurred to date in this program.)

Clinical Robotic Surgical Education

The nine-step robotic training program (developed by RPCI) requires a minimum of 5 surgical cases to be successfully completed at each step; this is a minimum of 45 cases.  Due to present RPCI patient caseloads and only one surgical robot, the chief residents in the UB program are now only able to spend one operative day at RPCI during their four month experience—making it to step 4, on average. The enhanced education/training center will increase safety for patients by allowing surgeons to complete the full curriculum.

Academic Mission

RPCI has established a Robotic Prostatectomy Remediation Program and a Robotic Cystectomy Education Program. Our program was the first center of its kind to offer a “team approach” in robotic surgical training—including surgeons, physician assistants, surgical nurses and assistants/operating room technicians. Several institutions have completed our Remediation Program thus far. In addition, although Dr. Mani Menon at Henry Ford Medical Center was the first surgeon to perform a robotic radical cystectomy, Dr. Khurshid Guru at RPCI developed the technique that is quickly being adopted by all, nationally and internationally. Faculty of the RPCI Robotic Surgery Program have also published, or have in press, 12 manuscripts.