MIAMI—Nicklaus Children’s is among the first pediatric facilities in the region to offer robotic single-site incision surgery for children utilizing the da Vinci Xi® system. The technique offers a single incision minimally invasive surgical option for gallbladder or ovarian surgeries in children.
A fifteen-year-old girl was the first patient at Nicklaus Children’s to undergo robotic single-site incision surgery in June of this year when she had to have her gallbladder removed by Dr. Fuad Alkhoury, pediatric surgeon on the medical staff at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. Utilizing the da Vinci Xi robot, the surgery was performed through a small incision hidden within the patient’s navel to remove the organ.
“This surgical option is a step forward in the ongoing effort to provide the latest and most advanced treatment to children in our care,” said Dr. Fuad Alkhoury.
Compared to conventional laparoscopic gallbladder surgery, the robot enhances a surgeon’s ability to reach the targeted area and improves precision. The benefits for the patient can include less scarring, shorter recovery and less probability for infection.
“Robotic single-site incision is already opening the doors for better surgical options and techniques for the pediatric population.” said Dr. Alkhoury.
For more information on the Department of Pediatric Surgery at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org.
About Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Where Children Matter Most (2024)
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is South
Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with approximately
850 attending physicians, including more than 500 pediatric subspecialists. The 307-bed
hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with many specialty programs
routinely ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. The
hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern
United States and since 2003 has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing
Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession’s most prestigious institutional
honor. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org.