Robotic technology is taking medicine another step into the future. It's a major development in the surgical world but surgeons are still in control of what the machines are doing.

Karen Sedlacek dreaded being back in the operating room. Having her spleen removed, the first time around, left Karen in bed for months.

"My surgery was December 11th," she says. "At that time, and at Christmastime, I still had a heating pad on and could not walk straight."

After Karen's first splenectomy, some of the tissue grew back and the growth brought her illness back.

It had to be removed again but the second time around, Karen benefited from new technology that Dr. Dmitry Oleynikov says, "gives me ability to do certain procedures that much more precisely."

Dr. Ooleynikov specializes in robotic surgery at UNMC and he used the daVinci Surgical System for the majority of Karen's second splenectomy.

The robotic arms have a "wrist" built in and whatever Dr. Oleynikov's hands do, the instruments mimic the motion.

Another plus is that the view inside the patient's body is better. Conventional procedures provide only a two-dimensional view but the daVinci allows a three-dimensional view that makes difficult tasks easier for surgeons.

Because of the smaller incisions that robotic surgery allow, Karen was moving around on her second day home.

She says, "I'm hoping this will continue to be perfected for everyone."

Doctors at NHS University Hospital started using the daVinci in 2000. It's now utilized in all surgical procedures, especially when it comes to abdominal organs.