Dr. Brent Sharpe of Georgia Urology Offers Retroperitoneal Approach

Dr. Brent Sharpe, who has brought six new robotic procedures to Northeast Georgia, is offering robotic retroperitoneal kidney surgery.

Using the XI DaVinci System, Dr. Sharpe can perform renal procedures by entering behind the peritoneum, which is the membrane forming the lining of the abdominal cavity. “Retroperitoneal robotic surgery has the advantage of not having to enter the abdominal cavity where all the major organs are,” says Dr. Sharpe, “so there is less risk to those organs.”

In addition, patients who have had extensive abdominal surgeries with subsequent scarring are not usually able to have minimally-invasive robotic kidney surgery through the front of the abdomen. The retroperitoneal approach offers a minimally-invasive alternative to traditional open surgery, which results in a large incision on the patient’s stomach region.

“It’s also advantageous when removing cancer from certain locations of the kidney,” Dr. Sharpe says. “If your problem is on the back of the kidney, the retroperitoneal technique is much easier and with less risk.”