title: Port Placement and Docking for Robotic Surgery: The University of Southern California Approach.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe our approach for port placement and robot docking for pelvic and kidney surgery (KS).
  
  
  METHODS
  We use a four-arm robotic approach and a 5 to 6 port placement consisting of: One 12-mm camera port, three 8-mm robotic ports, and one to two assistant ports. For radical prostatectomy, the working robotic ports run parallel below the level of the umbilicus. Radical cystectomy ports are more cephalad and above the level of the umbilicus. For transperitoneal KS, two bariatric robotic ports are used, aiming for an equilateral triangle configuration. With retroperitoneal (RN) KS, a balloon dilator and balloon port create the RN space; bariatric ports comprise the most anterior and posterior ports.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This technique has been used since 2010 on more than 2370 robotic urologic cases. To date, no procedure has needed patient or robot positioning while maintaining fourth arm functionality with minimal robotic arm clashing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our approach of port placement and robot docking is reproducible and feasible for pelvic surgical procedures and KS.
authors.affiliation: 1 USC Institute of Urology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Sameer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chopra
authors.affiliation: 1 USC Institute of Urology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Metcalfe
authors.affiliation: 1 USC Institute of Urology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Andre Luis
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: de Castro Abreu
authors.affiliation: 1 USC Institute of Urology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California.|2 Department of Urology, King Abdulaziz University , Jeddah, Saudi Arabia .
authors.forename: Raed A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Azhar
authors.affiliation: 1 USC Institute of Urology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Raj
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Satkunasivam
authors.affiliation: 1 USC Institute of Urology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Mihir
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Desai
authors.affiliation: 1 USC Institute of Urology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Monish
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aron
authors.affiliation: 1 USC Institute of Urology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Inderbir
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.affiliation: 1 USC Institute of Urology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California.|3 Department of Urology, University of Miami , Miller School of Medcine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Andre K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Berger
mesh_terms: D015653:Cystectomy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000601:surgery; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D056888:Patient Positioning; D010388:Pelvis / Q000601:surgery; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods; D012187:Retroperitoneal Space / Q000601:surgery; D065287:Robotic Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014472:Umbilicus / Q000601:surgery; D013520:Urologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*