Urology · da Vinci Xi · 1,000+ robotic operations
Prostate, kidney, bladder and adrenal operations with the da Vinci Xi system, performed by Prof. Dr. Mutlu Ateş at Antalya American Hospital. Send your reports first. Your surgery date is set before you travel, and most trips take 5 to 7 days.
1,000+robotic operations performed by Prof. Dr. Mutlu Ateş
Prof. Dr. Mutlu AteşUrologist, Antalya American HospitalMonday to Saturday, 09:00 to 17:00
Each operation gains something different from robotic assistance. Under each one is the strongest published finding and the kind of study it comes from.
For localised prostate cancer. In the Brisbane randomised trial of 326 men, urinary and sexual function at 12 weeks were similar after robotic and open surgery. In NeuroSAFE PROOF (381 men), nerve sparing guided by frozen section during robotic surgery gave better erectile function scores at 12 months (IIEF-5 12.7 versus 9.7).
Removes the tumour and keeps the kidney. In the OpeRa trial (240 patients with complex tumours, RENAL score 7 or higher), 30-day complications did not differ significantly (37% robotic, 46% open). Robotic operations took longer, with longer ischaemia, while patients had less pain and shorter hospital stays.
For muscle-invasive bladder cancer. RAZOR randomised 350 patients: two-year progression-free survival was 72.3% after robotic and 71.6% after open surgery, so cancer control was equivalent. A pooled analysis of 8 randomised trials found less blood loss and fewer transfusions with the robot. The bladder is removed robotically and the urinary diversion is built through a small incision. This is a major operation, and the length of stay is planned individually.
For adrenal tumours, including gland-sparing (partial) surgery in selected cases. A 2025 comparison of robotic and laparoscopic adrenalectomy found small differences in outcome and a higher cost for the robotic approach, so the choice depends on tumour size, side and anatomy. Prof. Ateş has published on robotic bilateral partial adrenalectomy.
How it works
The system does not act on its own. Every movement of the instruments is made by the surgeon at the console, a few steps from the operating table.
The instruments bend at the tip like a wrist. The natural tremor of the hand is filtered out, and large hand movements can be scaled down into small instrument movements (for example 3 to 1). This helps most in fine steps such as nerve sparing and suturing deep in the pelvis.
Instruments and the camera pass through small ports. One port site is enlarged at the end to remove the specimen. Port number and position vary with the operation.
Evidence
Every figure on this page comes from one of these publications. Each row also states what the study did not show.
| Study | Design | Main finding | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| YaxleyLancet 2016 | Randomised, 326 men, prostatectomy | Urinary and sexual function similar at 12 weeks | Single centre, early results |
| NeuroSAFE PROOFLancet Oncol 2025 | Randomised, 381 men | IIEF-5 at 12 months 12.7 versus 9.7 with frozen-section guided nerve sparing | Tests a technique within robotic surgery, not robot versus open |
| OpeRaAnn Oncol 2025 | Randomised, 240 patients, partial nephrectomy | Less pain and shorter stay after robotic surgery | Complication difference not significant; longer operating and ischaemia times |
| RAZORLancet 2018 | Randomised, 350 patients, cystectomy | Two-year progression-free survival 72.3% versus 71.6% | Shows equivalence, not superiority |
| iROCJAMA 2022 | Randomised, 338 patients, cystectomy with the diversion built inside the body | Fewer clots (1.9% versus 8.3%) and wound complications (5.6% versus 16%) | Days alive and out of hospital differed by two (82 versus 80) |
| LiuWorld J Surg Oncol 2023 | Meta-analysis, 8 randomised trials, 1,024 patients | 328 mL less blood loss, fewer transfusions (odds ratio 0.45) | 84 minutes longer; complications and quality of life not different |
| EspositoCancers 2025 | Robotic versus laparoscopic adrenalectomy | Outcomes close between the two approaches | Higher cost for robotic surgery |
| ProtecTNEJM 2023 | Randomised, 15-year follow-up | Death from prostate cancer 3.1% with monitoring, 2.2% with surgery, 2.9% with radiotherapy | Metastases were more frequent with monitoring (9.4% versus 4.7% and 5.0%) |
Trial results describe groups of patients. They do not predict the result of an individual operation, which depends on the disease, the patient's health and anatomy.
The decision about surgery is made on your documents before you travel, so you do not fly to Antalya to find out whether you are a candidate. Most trips take 5 to 7 days in total. Radical cystectomy needs longer and is planned individually.
From home, by WhatsApp or email
Pathology report, PSA results, and MRI, CT or PET images with their reports. WhatsApp or email both work.
Prof. Ateş reviews them and tells you whether robotic surgery suits your case, or whether another treatment or surveillance is the better choice. Pricing information for your clinical situation is given in the same WhatsApp conversation.
Your surgery day is set from your test results before you book your flight. For most operations, plan for 5 to 7 days in Antalya in total.
5 to 7 days in total for most operations
You meet Prof. Ateş in person at Antalya American Hospital in Muratpaşa, have your anaesthesia assessment and sign the consent forms.
The planned operation takes place the next day with the da Vinci Xi system. The surgeon is at the console for the whole procedure.
The remaining days are for recovery, first in hospital and then in Antalya, before you fly home. After radical cystectomy the stay is longer and depends on the type of urinary diversion, the course of the operation and your recovery.
If the anaesthesia assessment finds a serious illness or abnormal result that was not known before, or was not mentioned in your medical history, the operation may need to be postponed. Your health comes before the schedule. Please tell us about every illness, operation and medicine when you send your reports.
1,000+ robotic operations
The surgeon
Prof. Dr. Mutlu Ateş is a urologist. He works in robotic radical prostatectomy, robotic kidney and bladder surgery and laparoscopic urology, and sees patients at Antalya American Hospital. He has performed more than 1,000 robotic operations.
His academic record can be checked through his ORCID record, Google Scholar profile and PubMed publication list.
One question per article, answered with the published evidence and its limits.
Questions
Not in every respect. Randomised trials show cancer control comparable to open surgery: in RAZOR, two-year progression-free survival after cystectomy was 72.3% with robotic and 71.6% with open surgery. The measurable gains are less blood loss and an easier early recovery, at the cost of a longer operation. The right indication and the experience of the surgeon matter more than the platform. Prof. Dr. Mutlu Ateş has performed more than 1,000 robotic operations.
No. The da Vinci Xi has no autonomous function. The surgeon sits at a console in the operating room and controls every movement of the camera and the instruments. The system filters hand tremor and scales movements. It does not make decisions.
No. In the ProtecT trial, death from prostate cancer after 15 years was low in all three groups: 3.1% with active monitoring, 2.2% with surgery and 2.9% with radiotherapy. Metastases were more frequent with monitoring (9.4%). For low-risk disease, active surveillance is often the first option. This is assessed from your pathology and PSA before any operation is planned.
Your pathology report (biopsy or previous surgery), PSA results with their dates, imaging reports and, where possible, the images themselves (multiparametric MRI, CT, PET), a list of your medicines, and a short summary of other illnesses and previous operations.
For most operations, plan for 5 to 7 days in total. You arrive the day before surgery for a face-to-face consultation, the anaesthesia assessment and the consent forms, and the planned operation takes place the next day. The remaining days are for recovery before your flight home. Radical cystectomy is a larger operation: the length of stay depends on the type of urinary diversion, the course of the operation and your recovery afterwards, so no fixed number of days is given in advance.
Yes, if it is safer for you. The anaesthesia assessment on the day before surgery may find a serious illness or abnormal result that was not known before, or was not mentioned in your medical history. In that case the operation may need to be postponed until it has been assessed and treated. Your health comes before the schedule, so please list every illness, previous operation and medicine when you send your reports.
The cost depends on your diagnosis, the operation that is planned and your general health, so a single figure on a website would not be accurate for you. Send your reports on WhatsApp and you will receive pricing information for your clinical situation, together with the assessment of your case.
Yes. An opinion on whether surgery is indicated, and by which approach, can be given from your documents, and a surgery date can be set from your test results. You meet the surgeon in person the day before the operation.
Contact
Send your pathology report, PSA results and imaging. You will be told whether robotic surgery is an option for you, what the next step would be, and what it would cost in your clinical situation.
