Mazen Nadim wasn’t interested in robotic surgery to remove his adrenal tumor at first. No scar, no deal, the 15-year-old insisted. After all, if he had to travel across the world for a life-changing surgery, Mazen at the very least wanted a “cool” scar that would impress his friends.

But as Mazen began to learn more about how a robotic surgery could help him recover faster and get him back to playing water polo, he began to consider...