Building the State’s First Pediatric Robotic Surgery Program

Since joining UMC Children’s Hospital to build Nevada’s first, and only, pediatric robotic surgery program, Dr. Michael Scheidler has utilized innovative surgical technology to save and improve young lives. Working tirelessly to provide children with access to sophisticated, minimally invasive surgical options, Dr. Scheidler helped UMC Children’s Hospital become one of only a handful of hospitals in the nation to offer pediatric robotic surgery.

Motivated by his passion for providing children with the highest possible level of care, Dr. Scheidler’s groundbreaking work will have a lasting impact on Nevada’s medical community. In addition to performing robotic cases, Dr. Scheidler works alongside his colleagues Drs. Shirong (Sara) Chang and Stephanie Jones to train future generations of pediatric surgeons in Southern Nevada.

Dr. Scheidler developed this highly specialized program to provide children with improved medical outcomes following complex surgical procedures. Minimally invasive robotic surgery offers a number of significant advantages, including reduced risks of complications, improved recovery times, and shorter hospital stays. When compared to open surgery, robotic procedures typically result in smaller incisions with minimal scarring, less blood loss, and a reduced need for narcotic pain medications.

“This advanced surgical technology allows for smoother movements and reduced localized tissue damage,” Dr. Scheidler says. “Patient outcomes have been amazing, and we have significantly reduced the need for prescribed narcotic pain medication among our patients.”

Dr. Scheidler and his team members utilize the da Vinci Xi Surgical System, which offers advanced robotic, computer, and optical technologies to help surgeons operate with enhanced vision and dexterity far beyond the limits of the human body. The system includes a three-dimensional, high-definition vision system and specialized instruments, including a miniaturized surgical camera, scalpels, scissors, forceps, and other surgical instruments to allow for precise dissection and reconstruction.

Since the program’s inception, Dr. Scheidler and his fellow pediatric surgeons have performed a wide range of robotic procedures, including oncological procedures, thoracic surgeries, reflux disease procedures, splenectomies, colorectal surgeries, and bariatric surgeries, in addition to many other valuable procedures.

“Our team continues to adapt the technology to additional disease processes, offering new procedures for the benefit of our young patients,” he explains. “We look forward to the continued expansion of the Pediatric Robotic Surgery Program at UMC Children’s Hospital.”