What should you know about the Ottava surgical robot?

A robot does not make treatment decisions or operate independently. The surgeon directs the instruments from a console, while the operating team monitors you and manages the procedure. The system may provide a magnified view and flexible instrument movement through small surgical openings. Whether it is suitable depends on the cancer location, its extent, your previous operations, and the surgeon’s experience with the planned technique.

Robotic surgery can be part of a wider treatment plan. It may be used to remove a tumour, take tissue for diagnosis, or perform a carefully planned operation. It does not replace pathology, scans, or discussions about other treatments.

Ask the treating team which operation is proposed, why a robotic approach is being considered, and what alternative methods could achieve the same goal. Confirm how the operation may affect recovery, pain control, movement, work, and follow-up. Bring a list of medicines, allergies, previous operations, and any breathing or heart problems to the pre-operative assessment.

Read about [Surgical Robot](/technology/surgical-robot/) and [Robotic Cancer Surgery](/treatments/surgical-oncology/robotic-cancer-surgery/) to understand the technology and its oncology use.

After surgery, contact your care team promptly for worsening pain, fever, repeated vomiting, increasing redness or drainage from an incision, difficulty passing urine, or new shortness of breath. Seek emergency help for severe breathing difficulty, chest pain, fainting, or heavy bleeding. Your discharge instructions should give a local contact number and explain what to do outside clinic hours.

Ask: What is the goal of this operation? How will you know whether the robotic approach is suitable? Could the operation change to open surgery? What symptoms should trigger a call after discharge? How will pathology results guide the next step?