The Future of Robotic-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy

1. The innovation in field of partial nephrectomy has been rapid over the last century, and the current technologies could not have been predicted. 2. Looking to the future, new robots and new adjuncts to the robots will become more accessible and more widespread. 3. Increasing use of image-guided surgery and intraoperative fluorescent imaging has supported greater vascular dissection as well as excision of the tumour itself. 4. A number of new robotic surgical systems are eagerly anticipated, providing further technological advances such as haptic feedback. 5. A key challenge is the development of a cost-effective platform to enable widespread delivery of robot-assisted surgery.