| Robotic Technology Gives Surgeon the Edge in Prostate Removal Tri-City Voice, June 25, 2008
Patients Benefit from
Shorter Hospital Stay, Less
Recovery Time
When a diagnosis of prostate cancer
is confirmed, the question becomes how
to treat it. After C. Kung was diagnosed
with prostate cancer a few months ago,
the 42-year-old hardware engineer from
Fremont discovered that there were
several treatment options for his
condition.
“When I discussed treatment options
with my urologist, minimally invasive
surgery was the most attractive option
because it offered the fastest recovery
time,” he says.
For Mr. Kung and other men in the
Tri-City area facing complete removal of
their prostate for treatment of prostate
cancer, it’s important to know that
there is a less invasive option
available locally through Washington
Hospital’s Institute for Minimally
Invasive and Robotic Surgery.
So what does minimally invasive
really mean? In short, it means a
procedure that could get you home from
surgery as soon as lunch the day after
surgery.
Typically, the surgery to remove the
prostate, known as a radical
prostatectomy, involves the surgeon
making an incision “from the belly
button to the pubic bone,” according to
Washington Township Medical Group
urologist Dr. Mark Saleh, M.D.,
F.R.C.S.C. (Certified by the American
Board of Urology and Fellow of the Royal
College of Surgeons of Canada.) Then,
once the prostate has been removed, the
bladder is reattached to the urethra.
Quicker recovery
However, employing the
minimally invasive procedure, using a
robotic surgical system, called da
Vinci®, Dr. Saleh is able to perform the
same operation laparoscopically via
three or four tiny incisions rather than
one large one.
The result? By enabling Dr. Saleh to
operate using smaller incisions, the
technology has the potential to reduce a
patient’s hospital stay and recovery
time, as well as decrease post-operative
pain.
“This means the patient can leave
the hospital the following day after
surgery rather than two to three days
with traditional open surgery,” Dr. Saleh says. “Even better, in many cases,
the recovery and return time to work is
cut in half.”
After undergoing a robotic-assisted
prostatectomy performed by Dr. Saleh on
May 29, Mr. Kung spent one night at the
hospital before returning home to his
family.
“I’m very happy with how the surgery
turned out,” says Kung. “I was able to
return home and start my recovery
process quite quickly and I’m healing
really well.”
The robotic surgery system allows
Dr. Saleh to operate with the advantage
of a 3-D camera, which provides him with
depth perception as he operates using
robotic arms. The arms not only allow
him increased range of motion more
flexible than the human wrist, but the
arms also minimize natural tremors of
even the steadiest of hands.
Additionally, the technology
provides optimal magnification of the
surgical site providing better acuity –
by 15 times – than the human eye is
capable of achieving.
The future of surgery
“Minimally Invasive Robotic
Surgery truly represents the future of
surgery, but even the most advanced
equipment is only as good as the
surgeons using it,” according to Dr.
Ramsey Araj, general surgeon and medical
director for the Institute of Minimally
Invasive and Robotic Surgery. “Advances
in robotic surgery have allowed our
highly trained surgeons at Washington
Hospital to operate with unmatched
surgical precision using the smallest
possible incisions, with our goal being
a better overall experience for our
patients. Fortunately, as the technology
continues to expand, we have increased
the variety of surgical options
available to the community.”
On average, the recovery time at
home for an open surgery prostatectomy
is between four to six weeks; whereas,
recovery from a robotic prostatectomy
could take as little as two weeks.
The good news is that, if caught
early enough, many men facing removal of
the prostate could benefit from this
particular type of surgery.
“Any patient that would qualify for
a radical prostatectomy is a potential
candidate for the minimally invasive
procedure,” according to Saleh.
However, he notes that some patients
may need open surgery based on their
individual medical histories, including
previous surgical procedures. Therefore,
he recommends discussing all
possibilities with a surgeon.
Equivalent results, added
benefits
“The main benefits of
minimally invasive surgery include a
shorter hospital stay, quicker recovery,
and less pain,” Dr. Saleh emphasizes.
“The effectiveness of the surgeries
(open versus minimally invasive) is
equivalent. Additionally, our ability to
perform the surgery while simultaneously
preserving the nerve tissue – which
could theoretically improve the chances
of preserving a patient’s ability for an
erection – is at least as good as open
surgery and there could be an argument
for it being better.
“In the right hands, you’re going to
have the same result as far as cancer
control with either the minimally
invasive or open surgery for a
prostatectomy.”
Another important benefit of the
minimally invasive surgery is its
potential to reduce the amount of time
patients need a catheter – one week
compared to two or three with open
surgery.
This means patients get back to work
– or their golf game – as fast as
possible after surgery.
Cancer Free
Nearly a month after his
surgery, Mr. Kung is cancer free and
he’s in very good spirits. “I have a
good prognosis and I’m very happy,” he
says. “Dr. Saleh monitors my progress
once a week and I’m taking everything
one step at a time.”
Get the facts
“It is important for
patients to understand their options
before undergoing a major surgery,”
according to Dr. Araj. “If you are a
candidate, it is always advisable to see
how minimally invasive surgery could
make the difference in your particular
case.”
To learn more about the procedures
performed at Washington’s Institute for
Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery,
visit
www.whhs.com,
click on “Services & Programs” and
select “Institute for Minimally Invasive
and Robotic Surgery” from the drop-down
menu.
To search for a local urologist by
name, location and languages spoken,
visit
www.whhs.com
and click on “Find a Physician.” |
