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- Prostate cancer

da Vinci™ Prostatectomy: A less invasive surgical procedure

Changing the experience of prostate surgery

St. Luke's now offers a new, minimally invasive surgical procedure for prostate cancer patients in Wisconsin.

One of the most common treatments for prostate cancer involves the surgical removal of the prostate gland, known as radical prostatectomy. Traditional radical prostatectomy requires a large, 8-10 inch incision. This open surgery commonly results in substantial blood loss, a lengthy and uncomfortable recovery and the risk of impotence and incontinence.

A better way: The da Vinci® Surgical System

Recent studies suggest that da Vinci Prostatectomy may improve cancer control and reduce the risk of urinary incontinence and impotence following surgery.

If your doctor recommends surgery to treat your prostate cancer, you may be a candidate for this new, less-invasive procedure. It incorporates a state-of-the-art surgical system that helps your surgeon see vital anatomical structures more clearly and to perform a more precise surgical procedure.

For most patients, da Vinci Prostatectomy offers numerous potential benefits over open prostatectomy including:

Shorter hospital stay
Less pain
Less risk of infection
Less blood loss and transfusions
Less scarring
Faster recovery
Quicker return to normal activities

As with any surgical procedure, these benefits cannot be guaranteed, as surgery is both patient and procedure specific.

How does it work?

The da Vinci Surgical System allows your surgeon's hand movements to be scaled, filtered and translated into precise movements of micro-instruments within the operative site. The da Vinci System enhances surgical capabilities by enabling the performance of complex surgeries through tiny surgical openings. The System cannot be programmed nor can it make decisions on its own. The da Vinci System requires that every surgical maneuver be performed with direct input from your surgeon.

A history of success

The daVinci Surgical System was first developed in the 1990s to help cardiac surgeons perform chest bypass and valve repair surgeries – without having to open the chest cavity.

In 2000, the System was first used to remove a cancerous prostate – a procedure that has since been repeated over 7,600 times worldwide. Robotic prostatectomies, as they are called, are growing in number as more men become aware of and have access to the technology. It is projected that 10% of all prostatectomies in the US in 2005 will be performed with robotic technology.

For more information, call the Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinic Hotline at 800-252-2990.