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Mercy
Robotic Surgery
Prostatectomy
The standard treatment option for Oklahoma men under
70 with early-stage, organ-confined cancer is surgical removal of the
prostate using nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy.
The primary goal of prostatectomy is removal of the cancer. A secondary
goal is to preserve urinary function and nerves for erectile
function. These nerves run alongside
the prostate and are often damaged when removing the prostate. A nerve-sparing
prostatectomy attempts to preserve these nerves so that the patient
may be able to return to his prior erectile function.
Types of Prostatectomy
Approaches to this procedure include traditional open surgery, conventional
laparoscopic surgery or robotic prostatectomy.
With a traditional open procedure, your surgeon uses an 8-10 inch
incision to access the prostate. This approach can result in substantial
blood loss, a lengthy, uncomfortable recovery and a risk of impotence
and incontinence.
Conventional laparoscopy uses a specialized surgical camera and rigid
instruments to access and remove the prostate using a series of small
incisions. This approach provides Mercy surgeons with better visualization
than an open approach. In addition, it provides patients the benefits
of a minimally invasive procedure.
Despite these advantages, conventional laparoscopy relies on rigid
instruments and standard 2D video, technical limitations that can be
challenging for the surgeon. Because of these drawbacks, conventional
laparoscopy doesn’t lend itself well to complex procedures like
prostatectomy. Therefore, very few urologists use this approach for
prostatectomy. Moreover, neither laparoscopy nor open surgery can provide
adequate visualization for a very precise, nerve-sparing prostatectomy.
Learn More
Read about an effective, less invasive approach
to prostatectomy – robotic prostatectomy.
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