Moses Kim, M.D., Ph.D., performs his 100th single-port robotic surgery, offering patients fewer incisions, less pain, and faster recovery times

Moses Kim, M.D., Ph.D.

LAGUNA HILLS, Calif. / Sept. 30, 2021 – Moses Kim, M.D., Ph.D., urologic and robotic surgeon-oncologist and Chief Executive Officer of Orange County Urology Associates (OCUA), recently performed his 100th da Vinci® single-port (SP) robotic surgery at Hoag Irvine.

The milestone-setting procedure, a radical prostatectomy, involved a single trocar, and four instruments – all inserted through the single incision. Dr. Kim says that SP robotic surgery can be used to treat prostate cancer, enlarged prostate, kidney disease, and conditions involving the bladder and ureters.

Data from his patients undergoing single-port radical prostatectomy:

• Less pain (50% of his patients do not use any narcotics)
• 90% of his patients go home the same day.

“We are an epicenter for single-port training, helping other surgeons from world-class organizations learn about SP robotics”, Dr. Kim said.

For his pioneering surgical skills, Dr. Kim has been at the forefront of helping train robotic surgeons on the single-port method:

• Dr. Kim has given a summer-long series of SP Roundtable discussion presentations with other national leading SP surgeons, which have been featured on The Urology Channel.
• Surgeons from USC and Scripps visited Dr. Kim to learn about SP robotics.
• Dr. Kim was asked to make a presentation on single-port da Vinci® robotics to surgeons at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
• Dr. Kim has been invited to speak at the World Congress of Endourology in Germany.

On Feb. 27, 2020, Dr. Kim became the first oncologist-urologic-robotic surgeon in Southern California to use the da Vinci® SP technique for removing a cancerous prostate (prostatectomy). This is a technology that few hospitals have yet acquired.

The tremendous benefit to patients is that he now performs the procedure with a single incision when before it took 4 or 5 incisions, which then carried more risk for infection and a host of other potential post-surgical problems.

“Single-port da Vinci® SP surgery is what all patients should ask for if having a prostate removed. It’s the new gold standard surgical approach for prostate removal,” Dr. Kim said.

Robotic surgery was pioneered in Orange County by Dr. Neyssan Tebyani, who performed the first robotic surgery (a prostatectomy) in May 2008 at Mission Hospital, Mission Viejo. Since that time, OCUA’s robotic surgeons – Dr. Kim, Dr. Tebyani, Dr. Don Bui, Dr. Daniel Su, and Dr. Josh Randall – have performed more than 500 robotic surgeries.

“We have the privilege of being one of the first hospitals in the nation to obtain this fourth-generation robotic tool that allows us to perform ever more precise surgeries with less stress on the patient’s body,” said Dr. Kim, M.D., Chair of Urology at Hoag, who performed the recent surgery. “This is another example of how Hoag is a leader in the field of robotic surgery.”

“This advanced technology allows our physicians to consistently deliver the safest, highest-quality care to our robotic surgery patients,” said Robert T. Braithwaite, Hoag President and CEO. “While robotics is still just one tool in a surgeon’s tool box, minimally-invasive options are becoming the standard of care for many procedures in a variety of areas of expertise at Hoag, including cancer, women’s and heart programs, as well as general surgery.”

“Single port,” means that only one small incision is needed to insert all the tiny tools necessary to remove part or all of a person’s prostate. Previously, five incisions were needed for laparoscopic prostatectomies.

“The ability to perform these complex procedures through a one-inch incision will make a tremendous difference to our patients. Already, Hoag is a leader in robotic surgeries and the highest surgical volume center for prostate and bladder surgeries in Orange County,” Dr. Kim said.

Hoag is a Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery (COERS), as designated by the Surgical Review Corporation. The designation recognizes the elite hospitals and surgeons nationwide who demonstrate an unparalleled commitment and ability to consistently deliver safe, effective, evidence-based care.

Surgeons at Hoag perform the fifth highest volume of total robotic cases annually in the country, which allows the hospital to deliver the safest, highest-quality care. This new tool will enhance that capability and further Hoag’s commitment to patient care.

“Robotic surgery improves outcomes, which is important for patient satisfaction,” Dr. Kim said. “We are not just focused on treating cancer, we are also dedicated to maintaining our patients’ quality of life.”

The new da Vinci^® tool ensures faster recovery times and is less disfiguring, Dr. Kim said. The robotic system is approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for use in prostate cancer, kidney cancer and advanced urinary tract reconstruction surgery.