Robotic Surgery for Prostate Cancer: Is It Safer and More Effective?
Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is a surgery to remove the prostate and the surrounding tissues and lymph nodes, as part of cancer treatment. It has fewer complications than open surgery, but it’s equally effective to open surgery in terms of surgical outcome and survival rates.
Despite the growing popularity of robotic urology treatment in Navi Mumbai, many people still feel unsure about robotic prostatectomy. The procedure may sound futuristic, but the surgeon is still in full control.
Recently, robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP), the surgery to remove the prostate gland, has become a popular treatment choice for prostate cancer. However, there are ongoing concerns about whether robotic prostate cancer treatment is safer or more effective than the conventional procedure. Let’s find out.
Understanding Robotic Prostatectomy
Robotic prostatectomy removes part or all of the prostate gland, located right beneath the bladder. It involves robotic arms, equipped with surgical tools. The major difference between an open and robotic prostate removal surgery is the cut. In an open surgery, the doctor makes a large, approx 8-10 inch cut to get direct access to the prostate gland.
Robotic surgery involves a few smaller incisions through which the robotic arm and the camera are inserted carefully. The surgeon sits at the console, guiding every movement of the robotic arm, ensuring that the surgery is carried out precisely.
How much of the prostate gland needs to be removed depends on the severity of the disease. For prostate cancer, radical laparoscopic prostatectomy, which removes the entire prostate gland, lymph nodes, and the surrounding tissues, may be recommended.
Is Robotic Surgery for Prostate Cancer Safer?
Robotic surgery is considered safer than open prostatectomy. Studies show that the use of robotic arms during the procedure offers many benefits, including:
Better Precision
In a robotic prostatectomy, your surgeon gets a high-definition, magnified 3D view of the prostate gland. This allows them to operate around the sensitive nerves (responsible for bladder control and erections) more carefully.
Besides, the robotic arm is flexible and can bend, rotate, or move more flexibly than a human hand. This allows the robotic surgeon in Navi Mumbai to reach places that are otherwise unreachable with open or laparoscopic prostatectomy.
Fewer Complications
Robotic prostatectomy allows your doctor to separate tissue layers, as well as avoid unnecessary injury to blood vessels, which helps control bleeding. Smaller incisions also reduce the risk of hernia and infection at the incision site.
Besides, a clear view of the surrounding nerves and tissues prevents unnecessary pulling or tearing, which further reduces the long-term risks of erectile dysfunction or urinary leakage.
Is Robotic Prostatectomy More Effective?
Robotic surgery may be safer or less complicated than an open surgery, but it’s also normal to wonder whether there’s any difference in the effectiveness of both procedures. Technically, both have the same purpose—to remove the cancerous prostate tissue.
There’s no major difference in the cancer control outcome and long-term survival rate for patients who’ve undergone open or robotic prostatectomy. The biggest difference that makes robotic prostatectomy a better choice than its traditional counterpart is the precision during surgery and the recovery period.