Da Vinci Prostatectomy

Surgery Process: The Procedure of the Da Vinci Prostatectomy<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mJuIhZzC3eM?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>

Radical prostatectomy using the da Vinci® surgical system is suitable for all patients with prostate cancer limited to the prostate gland.

With the keyhole technique, instead of a large abdominal incision, only about 1-centimeter large incisions are precisely placed in the lower abdomen. The da Vinci® Surgical System is not a robot that carries out the procedure alone. Still, a high-precision surgical instrument guided by an experienced surgeon helps perform the procedure precisely and with millimeter accuracy.

The "surgery robot" mainly consists of 2 components. The control panel, which is operated by the surgeon and the multi-arm surgical assistant, is positioned on the patient. The control panel must always be used manually.

Independent actions of the "robot" or programming of automatic sequences are not possible. The control panel includes, among other things, a tenfold optical magnification of the surgery field. The surgeon can control the devices with high precision using two special handles. The surgical assistant positioned on the patient implements the surgeon's commands or movements on the control panel.

The rough process of the uncomplicated surgery is briefly outlined here:

• Small skin incisions are used to create access locks for the camera and surgical instruments.
• Lymph nodes in the small pelvis are removed for pathological examinations.
• Exposing the prostate, detachment from the bladder
• Exposing the seminal vesicles, separating the spermatic duct
• Separating the prostate pedicles (fixing the prostate in an anatomical position in the pelvis)
• If possible (if not tumor-infiltrated), exposure of the nerves to be protected.
• Separating the prostate from the urethra
• Connection of urethra and bladder, splinting of the suture through a bladder catheter.
• Removing the prostate from the body
• Sewing the skin incisions

Advantages: The Advantages of Prostate Surgery Using the Da Vinci Method?

This surgical procedure's advantages are less blood loss, less pain, faster wound healing, and overall quicker recovery due to the minimally invasive procedure. Patients have better long-term outcomes in terms of potential side effects. As a result, continence and erectile function can often be better maintained than with comparable surgical techniques due to the high precision.

The surgeon can work with high precision thanks to the 10x magnification and the three-dimensional display on the control panel. In contrast to human beings, surgical instruments always work tremor-free and, thus, with millimeter precision.

One of the da Vinci® Surgical System disadvantages is the relatively long time it takes for the surgeon to master the surgical technique.

Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy is a possibility for the gentle yet highly precise removal of a tumor-altered prostate. Due to the maximum precision, the patients' long-term results (erectile dysfunction, incontinence) have been improved considerably.

Which Clinics Are Specialized in the Da Vinci Method in Germany and Switzerland?

Every patient who needs prostate surgery wants the best medical care. Therefore, the patient is wondering where to find the best clinics that use the Da Vinci Method. Only experienced urologists can decide whether a Da Vinci prostatectomy is the best option. The following large clinics offer the Da Vinci Method in Germany: University Hospital Dresden, University Hospital Leipzig, Charité Berlin, Vivantes Prostate Center Berlin, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Martini-Klinik Hamburg, University Hospital Essen, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Kiel, Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-University Frankfurt, Urological Clinic, and Polyclinic of the Klinikum Rechts der Isar. Please, click here to find more clinics. You will find Da Vinci clinics in Switzerland in Chur and Lucerne.

Sources

Prostataentfernung mit dem daVinci®-Operationssystem an der Urologischen Klinik und Poliklinik des Klinikums rechts der Isar der Technischen Universität München (Informationsbroschüre,www.mriu.de/pdf/MRIU_daVinci_lang.pdf)

https://www.krebsinformationsdienst.de/tumorarten/prostatakrebs/behandlung-operation.php

https://prostatakrebs-bps.de/medizinisches/spezialkliniken-und-aerzte/158-kliniken-mit-da-vinci-systemen