Prostatectomy Surgery - How It Works
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| Jeffrey Steinberg, M.D., Urology | |
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According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 16% of men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their life.
Prostate Cancer is a disease in which cancer cells form in the tissues of the prostate. The prostate gland, located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum, is about the size of a walnut and surrounds the urethra (the tube that empties urine from the bladder.) The prostate gland produces fluid that makes up part of the semen.
The da Vinci Prostatectomy is a minimally invasive procedure. The robotic technology incorporates an advanced surgical system that helps a surgeon see vital anatomical structures more clearly, enabling the surgeon to perform a more precise surgical procedure. For patients, the procedure offers substantially less discomfort and a much shorter recovery period than traditional prostate surgery.
During surgery, the surgeon sits at a console across the room from the patient. Here, the surgeon monitors video screens while directing the robotic arms. The system allows surgeons a greater range of motion and precision than hand-manipulated procedures.
A side car contains robotic arms that position and maneuver the endoscopic instruments positioned inside the patient through small incisions.
Robotic endowrist instruments are selected and changed during the robotic prostatectomy. Endowrist instruments include forceps, scissors, electrocautery, scalpels and other surgical tools. If the surgeon needs to change an endowrist, as is common during a robotic prostatectomy procedure, the instrument is withdrawn. Typically, an operating room nurse standing near the patient removes the endowrist instruments and replaces them with new instruments.
Meanwhile, the surgeon performs the robotic prostatectomy from the console. Here the surgeon is able to manipulate the hand controls while viewing the operation live through the da Vinci Robot’s InSight vision system.
The surgery is completed with the closure of the small incisions in the abdomen with sutures.
