Robotic da Vinci Surgery System for Prostate Cancer

September 27, 2009 - 9:10 am | 119 views

Technology.am (Sept. 27, 2009) — The first robotic-assisted surgery performed in 1995 utilized a robotic platform to eliminate the need for an assistant to hold the camera during laparoscopic procedures.

Robotic da Vinci Surgery Now the new da Vinci system represents the next evolutionary step, offering an instrument that can control a camera with one hand while simultaneously manipulating tiny laparoscopic surgical tools in its other hands.

With a human surgeon at the controls, da Vinci filters out tremor, enhances precision, offers 3D imaging and may eliminate some of the fatigue associated with conventional laparoscopy.

Robotic surgery has experienced great popularity for urologic surgery; particularly cancers of the prostate located deep in the pelvis.

Current utilization, however, is quite widespread including applications for general surgery (esophagus, stomach, and biliary reconstruction), cardiac surgery (coronary artery bypass grafting and valve replacement), and gynecology (hysterectomy, oopherectomy, and tubal reconstruction). It is likely that the array of surgical procedures performed with robotic technology only will increase over time.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the US (excluding skin cancers) and is second only to lung cancer as a contributor to cancer deaths in American men. In 2009, it is estimated that 192,280 new cases will be diagnosed and more than 27,000 men will die of prostate cancer. The lifetime probability of developing prostate cancer is one in six for American men.

Radical prostatectomy via an open approach has historically been the gold standard therapy for the surgical treatment of prostate cancer. While oncologic and functional outcomes following open radical prostatectomy are excellent, prolonged recovery is a legitimate concern for physicians and patients. With such considerations, an impetus within the surgical community has been to reduce the complications of procedures without compromising on established standards of care. To that end, laparoscopic surgery, which is performed via several tiny holes rather than one long incision, has been shown to reduce perioperative complications while improving recovery.

Robotic surgery represents the next potential iteration for advances in minimally invasive surgery.

Further Reading