Robotic Surgery Means Faster Recovery from Prostate Cancer (Prostate Cancer Awareness Week Sept. 19-25)

(PRWEB) September 11, 2004

Surgeons at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ, are now treating early-stage prostate cancer with the assistance of a surgical robot, dramatically reducing the risk of impotence and incontinence and eliminating an uncomfortable recovery period.

The da Vinci Surgical System is a state-of-the-art surgical robot that gives surgeons more precise views of the prostate and surrounding tissue, as well as greater dexterity.

“Surgical removal of the prostate is one of the most common and effective treatments for early-stage prostate cancer,” said Jonathon Hwang, MD, Director of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Urology at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. “Many men avoid surgical procedures because of the high risk of incontinence and impotence and the difficult recovery, but the da Vinci is changing that.”

The da Vinci uses miniature instruments to perform the procedure, allowing for very small incisions. A surgeon controls the da Vinci’s arms from a remote console that precisely translates his hand, wrist and finger movements to the robotic arms inside the patient while providing a three-dimensional view of those movements.

Urologists at Robert Wood Johnson say the enhanced views offered by the da Vinci mean less chance of damaging surrounding nerves and tissue and a reduced risk of scarring.

“With optical magnification up to ten times larger than the actual size and three-dimensional depth perception, we can better preserve the nerves that are crucial to maintain potency and continence while successfully removing the cancerous prostate gland,” noted Dr. Hwang, who is also an Assistant Professor of Urology at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. “Our patients have done very well after surgery using the da Vinci and it is the only type of prostate cancer surgery that I would recommend to my patients.”

With the da Vinci robot, surgeons make keyhole openings rather than a single four-inch incision. These small openings result in less pain, less blood loss, faster catheter removal and a shorter hospital stay, with some patients returning to work as early as two weeks after the procedure.

Patients who undergo this surgery generally leave the hospital the next day and their recuperation time is less, adds Robert Weiss, MD, a urologic oncologist at the hospital.

A growing number of top hospitals are using the da Vinci to treat prostate cancer. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is the only medical center in Central New Jersey currently making use of the technology.

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