After Prostate Cancer

What You Need To Know About Laparoscopic Prostate Surgery

Laparoscopic prostate surgery has undergone a rebirth in the several years. The surgery is performed with much the same instrumentation used for laparoscopic kidney surgery, but with the added advantage of 10 times the magnification for improved vision in hard to reach places within the body. During this surgical procedure, one cut is made below the belly button and two cuts are made on both sides of the lower abdomen. Laparoscopic prostate surgery with the surgeon holding the instruments can be performed, but requires very high degree of surgical skill and there are some parts of the operation that are very difficult. In robotic prostate surgery, a robot does all the cutting and surgery with the surgeon controlling the instruments via a computer.

Laparoscopic prostate surgery(radical prostatectomy) is the preferred and the most effective methods of treating men with cancer that is confined to the prostate. Radical prostatectomy can also be operated laparoscopically, through a series of small (1cm) incisions in the abdomen, with or without the help of a surgical robot.

Laparoscopic surgery eliminates the need for a large incision, and as a result you should have less pain and scarring after surgery, faster recovery, and less risk of infection. Laparoscopic surgeries consist of performing surgical and diagnostic procedures without the classical wide open incision that allows surgeons to put their hands or instruments into the abdomen. In laparoscopy, a small 1-2 cm incision is done to insert a 10-cm video camera, connected to a computer monitor so the surgeon can view the image of the inside of the patient's cavity. Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy and robotic prostatectomy are the two newest surgeries for prostate cancer treatment , where Laparoscopic prostatectomy is a less invasive procedure for a patient.

Robotic devices to assist urologists with laparoscopy, percutaneous access to the kidney, transurethral resection of the prostate and prostate biopsy are currently in development or already in active clinical use. New cutting-edge telemedicine techniques and virtual reality applications have also integrated robotic technology. Since robotic and laparoscopic prostatectomy uses small incisions and is highly precise, the risk of incontinence is low, and the surgical technique is continuously refined to improve its effectiveness.

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostate surgery uses a computer-enhanced, minimally invasive surgical technique that allows surgeons to operate while seated at a computer, viewing a magnified 3-D representation of the surgical landscape. The system uses advanced technology can translate the surgeon's hand movements into precise, real-time movements of the surgical instruments inside the body, allowing the surgeon the benefits of better viewpoint and maneuverability, and very refined precision in the dissection of delicate tissue.