Robotic surgery, as its name suggests, is surgery that is carried out by a robot. It's a minimally invasive surgery, which means it's capable of performing complicated surgical techniques through tiny incisions, leaving very little scar tissue behind. The robot is the tool here, just like a scalpel or a set of forceps would be a tool for a skilled surgeon. The surgeon will sit at the robot's controls, guiding the surgical instruments at the end of the robot's arms with high definition 3-D cameras.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://community.robotshop.com/index.php/blog/show/weighing-the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-robotic-surgery