Robotic and Minimally Invasive Surgery in Rockville, MD

Advanced robotic surgical care using the Intuitive da Vinci Xi platform. Smaller incisions, faster recovery, and same-day discharge for most procedures. Fellowship-trained expertise in robotic hernia repair, abdominal wall reconstruction, and GI surgery.

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Illustration depicting robotic surgery
Surgeon using the da Vinci surgical platform

Surgery Has Changed. This Is What It Looks Like Now.

Not long ago, many of the procedures we perform required large open incisions, extended hospital stays, and weeks of difficult recovery. Robotic surgery has changed that.

Using the Intuitive da Vinci Surgical Platforms, we can now treat conditions that previously demanded open operations through a few small incisions instead. The robot does not perform surgery on its own. It gives the surgeon capabilities that replicate human wrist range of motion, along with 3D high-definition visualization of the surgical field, using advanced cameras and articulating instruments to expand the limits of minimally invasive surgery.  It allows work with precision in tight anatomical spaces where traditional approaches are limited.

For patients, the difference is tangible. Smaller incisions mean less tissue disruption, less post-operative pain, less scarring, and a faster return to normal activity. At EliteCare, most robotic surgery patients go home the same day.

What We Treat With Robotic Surgery

We use robotic and minimally invasive techniques across nearly all of our abdominal surgical services. Here is an overview of the procedures we perform and the conditions they address.

Abdominal Wall and Hernia Surgery

This is where robotic surgery has the greatest impact in our practice. We perform robotic repairs for the full range of hernia conditions:

  • Robotic abdominal wall reconstruction for complex, recurrent, and previously failed hernias
  • Robotic hernia repair
  • Mesh-based reinforcement with precise placement in the retrorectus or preperitoneal plane
  • Diastasis recti repair

Upper Abdominal and Foregut Surgery

Conditions that once required open upper abdominal surgery can now be treated robotically:

  • Hiatal hernia repair
  • Anti-reflux procedures (fundoplication) for chronic GERD
  • Complex revisional foregut surgery for patients whose prior anti-reflux procedures did not hold

General Minimally Invasive Surgery

We also perform robotic and laparoscopic procedures for other abdominal conditions:

  • Robotic cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal)
  • Appendectomy, including complex or inflamed cases
  • Selected colorectal procedures
  • Adhesiolysis (scar tissue removal) in previously operated abdomens

Why Robotic Surgery in General Surgery Is Still Relatively New

Patients sometimes ask why their urologist or gynecologist has been using robotic surgery for years but their general surgeon has not. The answer has less to do with the technology and more to do with the anatomy.

Robotic surgery was first widely adopted in urology and gynecology because those procedures take place in the pelvis, a confined, well-defined space where the robot’s enhanced precision and 3D visualization offered immediate advantages over traditional laparoscopy. Prostate surgery and hysterectomy became early success stories.

General surgery posed different challenges. Hernia repair, abdominal wall reconstruction, and GI procedures involve broader operative fields, multi-quadrant access requirements, and highly variable anatomy from one patient to the next, especially in patients who have had prior surgeries, carry significant scar tissue, or present with large defects. Earlier robotic platforms were not optimized for this kind of work.

That changed with the da Vinci Xi, which improved multi-quadrant access, instrument reach, and visualization in complex abdominal anatomy. At the same time, the clinical evidence caught up: published outcomes began to show clear benefits for robotic hernia repair, abdominal wall reconstruction, and foregut procedures.

Today, robotic general surgery is one of the fastest-growing areas of adoption. But it is still new enough that not every general surgeon has the training or the volume to perform these procedures routinely. That matters, because experience with the robotic platform is directly tied to outcomes.

Intuitive dVinci SP Surgical System Patient Cart
Surgeons using a Davinci robotic surgery system

How We Decide When to Use the Robot

We do not use robotic surgery for everything. The decision is made individually for each patient based on what approach will produce the best outcome for their specific case.

Robotic surgery is our most common approach and the one we favor for the most technically demanding procedures. We prioritize the robotic platform for abdominal wall reconstruction, hiatal hernia repair, complex ventral and incisional hernias, inguinal hernia repair, and selected general surgical procedures like cholecystectomy and appendectomy.

For less complex cases, we may use a combination of laparoscopic and robotic techniques, or a purely laparoscopic approach. And in certain situations, such as very large, contaminated, or heavily scarred surgical fields, open surgery remains the right choice.

The point is not that robotic surgery is always better. The point is that having full training and experience in all three approaches allows us to match the technique to the patient, not the other way around.

What Robotic Surgery Looks Like for the Patient

From the patient’s perspective, the experience is straightforward. The preparation, the check-in process, meeting the surgical and anesthesia teams, and the recovery protocol all follow the same pathway regardless of whether the procedure is robotic, laparoscopic, or open.

The difference is in what happens during the operation. The surgeon sits at a console near the operating table and controls the robotic instruments, which move inside the body through small incisions. The 3D camera provides a magnified, high-definition view of the surgical field, superior to the 2D view seen with laparoscopy. The instruments also bend and rotate with greater degrees of freedom, replicating the human wrist and hand motion, allowing more precise dissection, reconstruction, and mesh placement.

For patients, what that translates to after surgery is meaningful:

  • Less tissue disruption during the procedure
  • Reduced post-operative discomfort
  • Smaller incisions and less visible scarring
  • A faster return to daily activities and work

Most patients go home the same day, manage pain without opioids, and follow our Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols through a structured recovery over the following weeks.

Surgeon sitting at a robotic surgery console

Frequently Asked Questions About Robotic & Minimally Invasive Surgery

Here are the questions we hear most from patients considering robotic surgery.

Robotic surgery is a minimally invasive approach where the surgeon operates using a robotic platform (we use the Intuitive da Vinci Xi) that provides enhanced 3D visualization, greater instrument precision, and improved access to tight anatomical spaces. The surgeon controls the robot at all times. It is a tool that extends the surgeon’s capabilities, not an autonomous system.

Robotic surgery is not inherently safer or more dangerous than open surgery. The right approach depends on the case. What robotic surgery does offer is less tissue disruption, smaller incisions, and faster recovery for procedures where the anatomy supports a minimally invasive approach. In our practice, complication rates are 1% or less across all surgical approaches.

Many. Complex ventral and incisional hernias, recurrent hernias after prior surgery, abdominal wall reconstruction with mesh reinforcement, hiatal hernia repair, anti-reflux surgery, gallbladder removal, and selected colorectal procedures can now all be performed through small incisions using the robotic platform.

No. The surgeon controls every movement of the robotic instruments from a console in the operating room. The robot provides enhanced visualization and greater precision, but every decision and every action comes from the surgeon.

Recovery varies by procedure, but most robotic surgery patients at EliteCare go home the same day. Light activity resumes immediately. Return to desk work is typically within one to two weeks, and most patients return to full activity within four to six weeks. Pain is managed with our ERAS protocol: acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and an abdominal binder, with 90% of patients avoiding opioids entirely.

Because training and experience with the robotic platform are directly tied to outcomes. Robotic surgery in urology and gynecology has been common for over two decades, but robotic hernia repair and abdominal wall reconstruction have only been widely adopted in recent years. Not every general surgeon has the fellowship training, the case volume, or the depth of experience with robotic techniques that complex cases require.

Yes. Robotic surgery is covered by insurance just like traditional surgery. The fact that a procedure is performed robotically does not change insurance coverage. We accept most major plans, including Aetna, BlueCross BlueShield/CareFirst, Cigna, Medicare, TriCare, UnitedHealthcare, MedStar Family Choice, and Maryland Medicaid programs. For a full list, visit our Contact page or call (301) 215-0127.

Same-day and next-day appointments are available, and we welcome walk-ins. Most patients are seen within 24 hours of reaching out.