Da Vinci
Robotic-Assisted Surgery
The prostate gland’s location near other sensitive tissues makes its removal — the most common treatment for prostate cancer — a delicate procedure. For that reason, you need the most innovative, effective treatments to fight the disease. Goshen Center for Cancer Care is one of the few facilities in the region to offer the minimally invasive da Vinci® Robotic-Assisted Surgery for prostate cancer.
If you have early, localized prostate cancer, either low- or high-risk, you may be an excellent candidate for robotic-assisted surgery. In addition, if you have multiple medical problems including heart disease, obesity or diabetes, robotic prostate surgery could be an excellent option, since it’s less invasive.
Minimally Invasive Precision
Da Vinci is a state-of-the-art, robotic-assisted surgical system used to perform high precision, minimally invasive prostate surgeries. This revolutionary, high definition technique gives surgeons much greater visualization, precision and control while removing the prostate to treat cancer, which is critical in avoiding damage to the bladder, rectum, seminal vesicles and other sensitive areas near the gland.
When conducted by an experienced surgeon, robotic-assisted surgery is a much more accurate operation than traditional open surgery. This is very important when operating on a man’s prostate, as the surgeon must be precise with the dissection. The 3D view provided by da Vinci’s camera and the dexterity of the robotic hands allow the surgeon to maneuver through and around all those important nerves and vital structures close to the prostate. By using robotic-assisted surgery, a highly skilled surgeon is able to remove the cancer, while minimizing the impact to bladder and sexual anatomy. This helps reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence following the procedure.
Benefits
• Causes less pain
• Reduces risk of infection
• Decreases blood loss and need for transfusions
• Produces fewer scars
• Requires shorter hospital stays
• Allows quicker recovery and return to normal daily activities
• Helps reduce risk of erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence following surgery
How It Works
The da Vinci Surgical System is made up of an ergonomic surgeon’s console, a patient-side cart with four interactive robotic arms, a high performance 3D, high definition vision system and proprietary EndoWrist® instruments. Unlike conventional surgery, this technology gives the surgeon a highly magnified view of the patient’s anatomy, allowing the completion of complex procedures with precision. Powered by the latest robotic technology, the da Vinci System is designed to scale, filter and seamlessly translate the surgeon’s hand movements into more precise movements of the EndoWrist instruments, allowing operation on the prostate using five very small incisions instead of the traditional eight- to 10-inch incision.
Sitting at a master console, the surgeon maneuvers the robotic arms, which securely hold the surgical instruments and a high-resolution endoscopic camera. To move the instruments or to reposition the camera, he simply moves his hands. Using the robotic arms, the surgeon is able to perform the surgery through a few small "keyhole" entrances, manipulate the tissue with great precision and remove the patient's prostate gland while minimizing harm to surrounding tissue. After the da Vinci procedure, the patient is left with only a few small marks on his abdomen, and none of the scars normally associated with prostate cancer surgery.