Minnesota Robotic Surgery Center at United Hospital

If your doctor has recommended major surgery as the best option for treating your condition, you may be a candidate for robotic-assisted surgery. This new approach to surgery is changing the way doctors operate – and the way patients recover.

Types of robotic surgery

• Gynecologic conditions
• Prostate cancer
• Urologic conditions

Our expertly trained surgeons use less invasive robotic surgery to perform complex operations that were impossible without open surgery just a few years ago.

Like other minimally invasive procedures, robotic-assisted surgery is performed through a few tiny incisions. However, it offers surgeons higher magnification, better flexibility and more precision than conventional laparoscopic surgery.

Laparoscopic surgery

Laparoscopic surgery is performed through small incisions in the abdomen. With the aid of a tiny camera, the surgeon is able to examine and operate on the organs of the pelvis and abdomen. The rigid instruments and 2D camera used in conventional laparoscopy limit a surgeon's vision and dexterity making it more difficult to operate with precision.

More on laparoscopic surgery.

Surgeons at United Hospital commonly use robotic-assisted surgery to treat problems that affect the prostate, kidneys, bladder and uterus.

Whether you have an enlarged prostate, uterine fibroids or another condition that requires an operation, robotic surgery offers many potential benefits, including shorter hospital stays and a quicker return to daily activities.

Physicians at United Hospital trained to perform robotic surgery

Obstetrics/gynecology

• Patricia Chang, MD
• Gerald Cunniff, MD
• Eric J. English, MD
• Kaye Mickelson, MD
• Ron Mjanger, MD

Prostate/urology

• Todd D. Brandt, MD
• Robert A. Gaertner, MD
• Christopher J. Knoedler, MD
• Peter D. Sershon, MD

What are the benefits of robotic surgery?

Although every patient and every surgery is unique, robotic surgery offers important advantages for patients and their doctors. Because trained surgeons can operate with greater precision using robotic surgery, it is considered the best surgical option for many conditions.

Experienced surgeons at United Hospital have used the da Vinci robot to perform more than 1,000 successful operations. Talk to your doctor to find out whether robotic surgery is right for you.

Specific robotic surgery benefits

• Gynecologic condition
• Prostate cancer
• Urologic conditions

Dedicated robotics suite

United Hospital is the only hospital in Minnesota with a state-of-the-art operating room used exclusively for robotic surgery. Patients from around the state and region are treated in our da Vinci surgical suite, spending fewer days in the hospital and often experiencing better medical outcomes than patients who have open surgery.

EpiCenter: Surgeon Training Center

United Hospital is the only hospital in Minnesota selected to be a Training EpiCenter for gynecologic robotic surgery. Our world-class surgeons have performed more than 1,000 robotic surgeries. Together they have captured the attention of physicians from around the region who travel to United Hospital to learn best practices in robotic surgery. With their depth of experience, collaborative approach and high level of expertise, our physicians stand out among surgeons who teach surgeons.

On campus housing for family members

If you are traveling to United Hospital from out of town and you would like a family member to be nearby during your stay, the Lipschultz Guest Apartments offer convenient overnight accommodations with all the amenities of home.

Central location and parking discounts

United Hospital is easy to find and offers many accessible parking options. It is located in downtown St. Paul near two major freeways – I-94 and I-35E. Valet parking is available on weekdays, and is free for seniors and people with disabilities. The hospital's Serving Seniors program offers complimentary parking for seniors 62 year old and older who have outpatient medical appointments. Call the Serving Seniors automated application line at 651-241-8787.

Our patients and their stories

Some of the first patients to choose robotic surgery at United Hospital have remarkable stories about how this innovative technology changed their lives.

Prostate cancer: Retired doctor chooses robotic surgery for prostate cancer

Every year, more than a quarter of a million American men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. When Robert Jensen, MD, found out he had prostate cancer, he chose to have robotic surgery at United Hospital in St. Paul. Now he continues to enjoy spending time with his grandson.

Prostate: Removing the prostate robotically/simple prostatectomy

Lee Burke knew he needed surgery for his enlarged prostate gland. It wasn't cancer, but the gland's size and continued growth was interfering with his ability to urinate and began affecting his kidneys.

Obstetrics/gynecology: da Vinci robotic surgery: Bobbi's story

Bobbi Bade suffered from pelvic pain and could not conceive a child. Normal therapies offered little hope for Bobbi and her husband to have children. Then Bobbi met Eric English, MD, an obstetrics/gynecology surgeon at United Hospital. Dr. English offered Bobbi a chance to relieve her pain and restore her fertility using a new surgical technique with the da Vinci robot.

Obstetrics/gynecology: Removal of uterine fibroids

During her annual physical exam, Forest Lake resident Jeannette Wittrock talked with her family physician about her heavy, long menstrual bleeding. She had uterine fibroids, noncancerous tumors of the uterus, a condition that often runs in families.