| Science Daily, ABC News. It seems everyone is talking | | | | surgery. In most cases, this speeds up the discharge |
| about the da Vinci robot lately. No, the robot has | | | | time. With da Vinci surgeries, patients often go home |
| nothing to do with science fiction or the Italian | | | | the next day and resume normal activities within a |
| Renaissance. It has to do with prostate cancer and the | | | | week, compared to the six-week average for open |
| increasingly popular robotic prostatectomy. | | | | surgery. |
| About Prostate CancerIn the United States alone, | | | | Benefits to SurgeonMany doctors who use the da |
| prostate cancer affects a quarter of a million men | | | | Vinci robotic system appreciate the increased visibility. |
| each year. The prostate exam is practically a right of | | | | In an article at (July 27, 2005), Dr. David Samadi said |
| passage for men entering their 40's. The most | | | | this: "With regular laparoscopy you only have one |
| common treatment for prostate cancer is removal of | | | | camera, which gives you a two-dimensional view. You |
| the prostate (a.k.a., the prostatectomy). | | | | lose one dimension -- depth perception. The 3-D view |
| About LaparoscopyOver the years, laparoscopic | | | | with the robot is absolutely beautiful." |
| techniques have been applied to all kinds of surgery. In | | | | The da Vinci method is also easier to learn than the |
| general, laparoscopic or "minimally invasive" surgeries | | | | earlier attempts at laparoscopic prostatectomy, and it's |
| require less recovery time than open surgeries (mainly | | | | reported to be much less exhausting for the surgeons |
| because the incisions are smaller, and the entry and | | | | performing it. |
| exit process is less damaging). When you see a | | | | Questions to AskIf you are considering robotic |
| medical program on TV where the doctor is inserting | | | | prostate surgery over traditional open surgery, you |
| slender cameras and tools into tiny incisions, you're | | | | should make the following questions part of your |
| seeing laparoscopic surgery. | | | | doctor-screening process: |
| Early ChallengesEven with all of its advantages, | | | | * How long have you been performing prostate |
| laparoscopy had a bumpy start with prostate surgery. | | | | surgery in general? |
| The first U.S. surgeons to use laparoscopic techniques | | | | * How long have you been using the da Vinci robot? |
| for prostate surgery found it too difficult. It was hard to | | | | * How many of these surgeries do you perform each |
| teach, hard to perform, and physically exhausting. | | | | year? |
| The da Vinci SolutionIn recent years, a new form of | | | | * What is your overall success rate with robotic |
| robotic prostate surgery has emerged. It's known as | | | | surgery? |
| the da Vinci robot, and it solves some of the | | | | * Are there any unique considerations to robotic |
| challenges of robotic prostatectomy (prostate | | | | surgery as compared to open surgery? |
| removal). With the da Vinci system, a 3-D camera | | | | Conduct Your Own ResearchThis article is not |
| gives a magnified view inside the patient, while the | | | | intended to glorify the da Vinci robotic approach to |
| surgeon operates the robotic arms from a console | | | | prostate surgery, or to claim that it's perfect. The |
| nearby. | | | | purpose of this article is to give you a solid foundation |
| Benefits to PatientRobotic laparoscopic prostate | | | | of knowledge upon which you may conduct your own |
| surgery has several benefits over open surgery. First, | | | | research. For this reason, I've provided a link below to |
| the incisions are smaller. Patients treated with the da | | | | an excellent information source. |
| Vinci robotic system leave the operating room with | | | | * You may republish this article online as long as you |
| much smaller incisions than patients who have open | | | | keep the hyperlinks active. |