Robotic Vs. Open Prostate Surgery

According to the 2001 California Cancer Journal for Clinicians, almost 200,000 cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year. The most common treatment choice for the disease is surgery. It is important to be fully educated about surgical options before making a treatment decision.

The Facts

• The prostate is a walnut-sized, fluid-producing gland in the male body that surrounds the neck of the bladder and urethra. Prostate cancer surgery, known as a radical prostatectomy, involves the complete removal of the prostate gland, as well as the seminal vesicles (semen-producing glands), the portion of the urethra that passes through the prostate, the ends of the vas deferens (ducts that carry sperm from the testicles to the prostate) and a portion of the bladder neck. After the prostate is removed, the bladder is reattached to the remaining urethra.

Robotic Surgery

• Robotic prostatectomy is the newest form of minimally invasive surgery for prostate cancer. Tiny surgical incisions are made by a three-armed robot, controlled by a surgeon. It is called the da Vinci Surgical System.

Open Surgery

• The most common open surgery approach, the retropubic approach, involves a large abdominal incision from the belly button to the pubic bone.

Advantages

• Advantages of robotic surgery include ease of use, quicker operating time, faster recovery, minimal blood loss, less scarring, and less pain and discomfort.

  An advantage of open surgery is that blood vessels and nerves that control potency are visualized easily. In addition, the procedure allows for easy access to the pelvic lymph nodes, where prostate cancer sometimes spreads.

Disadvantages

• Not all hospitals can afford the high cost of the da Vinci Surgical System, and in turn, not all surgeons are qualified to operate the robot.

  Disadvantages of open surgery include longer recovery time, higher blood loss, and more pain and discomfort.