Hands-off operation: UNMH oncology doctors use robots to perform surgery.

(From McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Albuquerque Journal - Albuquerque, New Mexico)

Byline: Olivier Uyttebrouck

Dr. Satyan Shah doesn't touch his patient while he performs surgery. In fact, the University of New Mexico physician sits 10 feet from the operating table, peering through a camera inserted deep in his patient's abdomen.

Shah's hands guide three robotic arms that precisely mimic the subtle movements of his wrists and fingers.

"This is the future of surgery," said Shah, a urologic oncologist hired by UNM in July to direct its new department of robotic surgery. Shah is an avid booster of his own program.

"I think the future of robotic surgery is very bright," he said. "I …