Prostate Cancer - da Vinci Surgery System

The da Vinci® Robotic Surgical System at Baptist Medical Center Downtown allows for previously "open" traditional surgeries to be performed as minimally invasive procedures through tiny incisions. Physicians in adult and pediatric subspecialties of surgery at Baptist Downtown and Wolfson Children's Hospital are using the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System to successfully perform a number of complex procedures.

Minimally Invasive Treatment for Prostate Cancer

Today, there are a number of treatment options for men with prostate cancer, including "watchful waiting," hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, radiation treatment and surgery.

For eligible candidates, robotic-assisted surgery offers a number of advantages over other treatment options, including conventional open surgery, which requires an 8-10 inch incision on the patient's abdomen for direct access to the operative site.

Robotic-assisted surgery, using the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System, requires several dime-sized incisions, which dramatically decreases blood loss. These incisions are used to introduce tiny surgical instruments and a surgical camera. The urologists maneuver the instruments from outside the body, under 3-D vision provided by the surgical camera inside the surgical site.

Because a da Vinci prostatectomy (dVP) is a minimally invasive procedure, it can enable patients to have a shorter hospital stay, a quicker recovery and faster return to normal daily activities. Typically, dVP patients experience less pain, reduced need for blood transfusions, and less trauma to nerves.

Clinical studies also suggest that the da Vinci System may help surgeons provide better clinical outcomes than other technologies allow – for example, better cancer control and a lower incidence of impotence and incontinence with dVP. Other advantages may include reduced scarring and less risk of infection.

Robotic-assisted Surgery Becoming Standard of Care

Due to its advantages, dVP has become the fastest growing treatment for prostate cancer in the United States. Moreover, dVP has already been used to successfully treat thousands of prostate cancer patients worldwide. This year, it is expected that 20 percent of all prostatectomies will be performed using this technique, and that this percentage will continue to grow rapidly.