Complications in robotic urological surgery

Robotic technology is having a considerable impact on urological practice at the moment. With the increasing penetration of the da Vinci surgical system into hospitals around the world, surgeons are availing of the opportunities to use this technology to perform complex laparoscopic procedures. Nowhere is this more evident than in urology, where robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy is the most frequently performed robotic procedure of any kind. With the proliferation of this technology there are a number of questions raised. Apart from issues regarding efficacy and economics, complication rates specific to the technology as well as the procedure need to be addressed. This article reviews the current status of complications in robotic urological surgery with respect to both machine-related issues, and procedure-related issues.