Consultant Urologist, The Princess Grace Hospital,
Chelsea and Westminster and St Mary's Imperial group of Hospitals, London
Prostate cancer is the commonest cancer among men in the western world. It is the second commonest world-wide after lung cancer. One in six men have cancer of the prostate over the course of a lifetime.
In 2003, David Neal, Professor of Surgery, Cambridge, said ".surgery remains the best single treatment modality for cancer."
Every recent decade has brought new innovations to urology surgery:
- 1980's: flexible cystoscopes, ESWL
- 1990's: flexible ureterorenoscopes and stone lasers, laparoscopic renal surgery
- 2000's: laparoscopic prostatectomy
Each has provided patient and surgeon benefits in the treatment of conditions in the confined space of the pelvis.
Using laparoscopic techniques to perform a radical prostatectomy has significant advantages over earlier surgical techniques, particularly the clearer vision provided to the surgeon.
But even with laparoscopic techniques, there remain potential problems:
- Confined space of the pelvis
- Dorsal vein stitch
- Bladder neck dissection
- Anastomosis
Robotic surgery for prostatectomy significantly assists the surgeon to overcome those issues by enhancing visibility using micro instruments that emulate manual dexterity and provide the ability to make precise incisions that protect surrounding tissue. At The Princess Grace Hospital, we have a da Vinci surgical robot, the use of which is illustrated below.
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Endopelvic fasia and DVC |
Neurovascular Bundles |
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Apical Dissection |
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Using the da Vinci robot for surgery, invasiveness is minimised - a key benefit for patients.
