Mass General and slp3D to Webcast Innovative Surgical Treatment for Prostate Cancer

Webcast is first in a series of online broadcasts aimed to educate physicians about novel surgical treatments and techniques

BOSTON, MA - Surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital, the largest teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, will demonstrate to an Internet audience a minimally invasive procedure to remove the prostate gland. The webcast will take place on June 17 at 4:30 P.M. ET .
   The procedure, known as a laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, is performed on patients with prostate cancer. The procedure is done through several small incisions in the abdomen, rather than a large, open one. Specially designed surgical instruments and cameras afford the surgeon precise control and excellent visibility for performing the operation.
   "Traditional surgical removal of the prostate can mean long recovery times for patients," said Douglas Dahl, MD, FACS, the urologic surgeon who will be performing the procedure for the broadcast, "but with the laparoscopic procedure, patients usually can return to regular activities more quickly and much more comfortably."
   While Dahl performs the surgery, his colleague, Shahin Tabatabaei, MD, also an MGH surgeon, will describe the procedure and answer email questions from viewers.
   This broadcast, the first in a series of four, will be staffed by camera crews with complete access to the operating theater. The webcast also will feature live audio from within the operating room.
   More than 180,000 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year. For many of them, surgery is treatment of choice. With the advancements in surgical techniques and technology, this operation can now be successfully performed with a minimally invasive approach.
   In addition, this procedure will be performed from Mass Generals Operating Room of the Future," a unique, state-of-the-art operating suite that maximizes use of recent or new technologies. The overall goal of the Operating Room of the Future (ORF) project is to develop or modify new surgical equipment, procedures and processes that will result in improved patient outcomes and operating room efficiency. The ORF process has sought to establish links to both industry partners and academic researchers who are developing these new technologies, to build the optimum integrated operating room.
For access to Webcast:
www.or-live.com/MassGeneral/1100

For more information, contact:

Georgia Peirce - Massachusetts General Hospital
(617) 724-6423
Beth Kitzis – Massachusetts General Hospital
(617) 724-0317

Carol Green – slp3D
Director of Marketing
860-953-2900 x214
cgreen@slp3d.com