Healthtips

Prostate cancer is by far the most common cancer in men. It strikes approximately 16% of American men sometime during their lives, accounting for one-third of all cancers diagnosed in men. Thanks to effective health awareness programs, physicians are detecting this disease in patients earlier than ever before and mortality rates are falling. And there is even more good news. A new state-of–the-art robotic technology has transformed the most common surgical treatment -- removal of the prostate -- into a much less invasive procedure. The da Vinci Surgical System, recently introduced at High Point Regional Health System, allows surgeons to offer patients an alternative option through robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy.

Prior to the introduction of this new technology, the most common method for surgically removing the prostate gland required a large incision and open surgery. This approach often resulted in extensive blood loss, a lengthy and uncomfortable recovery and could include the side effects like impotence and incontinence. Conversely, the minimally invasive robotic approach is performed through a few small openings created in the lower abdomen which allow for the placement of a camera and laparoscopic instruments and requires no incision. The da Vinci procedure generally results in shorter hospital stays, less pain, blood loss and scarring and entails a faster recovery over all.

The procedure is very similar in both cases, however the da Vinci Surgical Robot provides the surgeon with sophisticated tools to facilitate the removal of the prostate. The robot doesn’t actually perform the surgery, but the robotic tools increase the surgeon’s precision. Three robotic arms protrude from a console placed near the patient. The surgeon’s feet work pedals and his hands direct the robot to cut and stitch with dexterity and steadiness. A 3-D camera system provides a magnified close-up view for more efficient and precise surgery.

The advantages of robotic prostatectomy have been lauded by the patients who have had the surgery, and by those surgeons across the country that have had the specialized training that qualifies them to utilize the da Vinci System. A recent study, published by investigators at the Vattikuti Urology Institute of Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, gives quantifiable evidence of the many benefits. Their findings verified that the robot-assisted procedure is intrinsically safer, the patient loses less blood, and the time of hospitalization and catheterization is shorter than with the traditional surgery. One of the most significant advantages of the robotic prostatectomy identified by the researchers was the fact that the median time reported for patients to continue intimate relations was 340 days post surgery. Only 50% of patients treated through traditional open prostatectomy were able to return to an active sex life within two years.

I have performed robotic prostatectomy on more than 100 patients since I became trained in this procedure in 2004. Most patients benefit greatly from the new technology and it is gratifying to see the excellent outcomes that this new system provides. It is impressive that a community the size of High Point has made a commitment to this level of medical technology, and as other health systems across the nation make a similar investment, I have no doubt this will become the surgery of choice for all surgeons and their patients being treated for prostate cancer.

M. Craig Hall, MD has recently joined Piedmont Urological Associates, a Cornerstone Health Care practice. He may be reached at 802-2030.