Thanks to a cutting-edge surgical robot at Flagstaff Medical Center (FMC) and a Flagstaff urologist, a Prescott Valley woman still has both kidneys following surgery to remove a kidney tumor.
 
Rita Riley, 63, was stunned when last spring tests revealed a tumor on her right kidney. A two-year breast cancer survivor, Riley knew there was a strong likelihood the tumor could be cancerous. After having surgery at FMC to treat her breast cancer in 2007, Riley and her family once again turned to the expertise of the surgeons and cutting-edge technology offered at FMC to treat her kidney tumor.

“I wasn’t sure what I was up against,” Riley said. “What I knew was that I wanted the best treatment, I wanted to save my kidney and I didn’t want to spend weeks and months recovering from surgery. I just wanted to be well and I wanted to be able to spend my days camping and enjoying more years with my husband, daughters and grandkids.”
 
With the assistance of the da Vinci Surgical Robotic System, Urologist William Badger, M.D., was able to remove the tumor from Riley’s kidney, leaving 80 to 90 percent of her kidney intact. This was the first time such a procedure had been performed at FMC, thanks to the da Vinci technology and the expertise of Dr. Badger in using the robotic system. 
 
“Before da Vinci, the recommendation for the treatment of kidney masses was often was to remove the patient’s kidney through a large abdominal incision,” Dr. Badger said. “Trying to remove just the tumor through traditional surgical options requires a large incision and results in a prolonged hospitalization and significant post-operative pain. Using da Vinci, we are able to carefully dissect the tumor and repair the kidney with astonishing precision through very small incisions, with the added benefit of minimal post-operative pain and quicker recovery.”  

Although a person can survive with just one kidney, having two kidneys provides the body with the optimal ability to filter the blood, produce urine, and regulate electrolytes and blood pressure. Research has shown that overall survival is better if the tumor, rather than the entire kidney, is removed. 

The sophisticated system joined FMC’s surgical team in 2007 to provide patients and surgeons with the most advanced surgical technology available. FMC is the only hospital in Northern and Central Arizona to offer this advanced, minimally invasive surgical technology. 
 
The system enhances a surgeon’s capabilities by combining three-dimensional, high-definition robotics to extend the surgeon’s eyes and hands deep into the surgical field through small, precise movements. The system allows complex surgeries to be less invasive because the surgery is performed through tiny incisions, rather than through large, open incisions.
 
The da Vinci Surgical Robotic System is used at FMC for a variety of surgical procedures, including general, cardiac, gynecological, urological and weight-loss surgeries. The da Vinci system is considered to be the gold standard in the surgical treatment of prostate cancer.
 
This fall, Riley and her family and friends were able to spend several weeks camping in their favorite spot just outside of Williams. “I believe that my faith in God and all the prayers, are the primary reasons I am cancer free,” said Riley. “With that being said, I am very grateful to Dr. Badger and FMC for giving me the surgical option to save my kidney, and for their expertise and care.”