Minimally Invasive Weight Loss Surgery

You know you’re ready to lose the weight and keep it off. That’s great! And, you know that bariatric surgery is the right tool to help you get back to the wonderful life that you so deeply deserve.

But you’re wondering about robotic surgery. What is the comparative safety of robotic surgery? Is it less risky, or more expensive? Who’s a good candidate for robotic bariatric surgery, compared to traditional laparoscopic surgery?

Let’s walk through these questions together.

What Is Robotic Surgery, and How Does It Work?

Robotic weight loss surgery is a type of minimally invasive weight loss surgery. In the past, surgeons had to make a single large incision in the patient’s abdomen in order to access the stomach and intestines. Minimally invasive surgery is a more advanced surgical approach in which the surgeon makes several small incisions, about as wide as your little fingernail, in the patient’s abdomen. Robotic weight loss surgery is a type of minimally invasive weight loss surgery in which, after the incisions are made, the surgeon then guides a surgical robot into the patient’s abdomen and uses the robot to perform the surgical procedure.

What Are the Benefits of Robotic Surgery Compared to Traditional Methods?

The primary alternative to robotic surgery is laparoscopic surgery. Laparoscopic surgery is another form of minimally invasive surgery, and also involves making several small incisions in the patient’s body. The difference is that in laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon controls the instruments used for surgery directly. In robotic surgery, the surgeon controls the robot which the manipulates the instruments.

Benefits of robotic surgery include:

• The robot has a powerful camera, which offers the surgeon excellent 3D visibility.
• The robot has robotic arms that mimic the surgeon’s movements exactly. 
• The robot is equipped with intracavitary joints that reduce tremors, meaning that surgery can be even more precise than when performed by a skilled human surgeon.
• The robot can bend and rotate with a greater range of motion compared to a human wrist, which means it can more easily access difficult-to-reach areas within the patient’s body.

Laparoscopic surgery performed by a skilled bariatric surgeon and robotic surgery are both considered very safe. The complication rate for each type of surgery is very low. According to a 2024 comparative review of 12 scientific studies, there is “no significant differences…between the two techniques in terms of hospitalization duration, weight loss, weight regain, or 30-day mortality.”

However, robotic weight loss surgery is associated with a slightly lower risk of complications versus laparoscopic surgery. The same review found that “the robotic approach has shown fewer complications, shorter hospital stays, and a reduced need for conversion to open surgery” as compared to laparoscopic surgery for revisional bariatric surgeries (which are among the most complex bariatric surgeries). Robotic surgery is also associated with lower post-operative pain in some studies, and patients who undergo robotic surgery often spend less time in the hospital.

What Are the Risks of Robotic Surgery Compared to Traditional Methods?

If you’re worried about the risks of robotic surgery, you should know that both robotic bariatric surgery and laparoscopic bariatric surgery are considered to be extremely safe. Robotic surgery may even be considered safer, and in some contexts is associated with a reduced risk of complications.

The primary risk of robotic surgery has to do with the longer length of surgery. One study found that robotic bariatric surgeries take an average of 3 hours 29 minutes, compared to just 1 hour 49 minutes for traditional laparoscopic surgery. This longer surgery time can translate to more time under general anesthesia, which can lead to complications in a minority of cases. However, this is a very minor risk for most patients.

What Kind of Recovery Can Patients Expect?

Using this approach many of our patients are able to have oupatient bariatric surgery, meaning they are able to safely leave the hospital and return to the comfort of their own home the same day as their surgery. Most patients report that they are able to return to work and engage in regular physical activity within two weeks after surgery.

Robotic surgery can slightly improve this timeframe. There is some evidence that robotic weight loss surgery is associated with even lower hospital stays and shorter recovery times for patients.

What Kind of Training Is Required for Surgeons Who Perform Robotic Surgery?

If you wish to undergo robotic surgery, it is important to ensure that your surgeon is trained in this modality. Most surgeons who offer robotic surgery are highly trained: they have performed successful training on robotic simulators, have been certified, and also have performed successful robotic surgeries on many patients.

At the BMCC, our double-board-certified bariatric surgeon, Dr. Long, is highly trained in both laparoscopic and robotic surgery. Dr. Long has extensive experience using both platforms with equally excellent outcomes.

Who Is A Good Candidate For Robotic Surgery?

Some people worry that they might not be a good candidate for robotic bariatric surgery. The truth is that anyone who is a good candidate for laparoscopic or even open bariatric surgery is also a good fit for robotic bariatric surgery. There are no special eligibility requirements to be a good candidate for robotic surgery.

How Much Does Robotic Surgery Cost (And, Is It Covered By Insurance)?

At present robotic surgery does not cost more for patients. Your deductible, copay, or coinsurance will be the same whether you are having an open, laparoscopic, or robotic bariatric surgery. However, the opportunity cost to you as a patient in terms of improved recovery time, less time off work, less time in the hospital, and better overall experience is certainly better for minimally invasive surgery and may be even better for robotic surgery.

Taking the Next Step On Your Weight Loss Journey

No matter which type of minimally invasive bariatric surgery you choose, rest assured that you are in good hands. Our double-board-certified bariatric surgeon has a very low complication rate, and personally commits to remaining in the operating room until every surgery is performed as well as humanly possible.

Many of our patients say that the decision to get weight loss surgery was the best decision they ever made.

“We were no longer prisoners in our own bodies, we were no longer handicapped by our weight, we were living and moving and feeling better then we had felt in so many years.”—Lisa and Chris Chesrown, duodenal switch patients.

If you’re suffering, don’t wait. Contact our Denver office today.