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Sep 16, 2008 8:14 pm US/Central
Robot Assists In Prostate Removal Surgery
DENVER (CBS) ―
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A surgeon at the Urology Center of Colorado in Denver uses the Da Vinci robot to perform prostate removal surgery.
CBS
This year, prostate cancer is expected to claim the lives of at least 28,000 men. It's the second most common cancer in America after skin cancer, but it's also considered one of the most curable if caught early.
Some of the treatments include radiation, hormone therapy, freezing the cancer cells and surgery. And some patients choose robot-assisted surgery, reports CBS station KCNC-TV in Denver.
Former KCNC-TV weatherman Ed Pearl is 58 years old, healthy and fit. So it was surprising when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
He checked into the Urology Center of Colorado to have the cancerous gland removed.
"I want a solution, live a normal life," Pearl said.
"I think Ed has a great chance of being cured," said Dr. Stephen Ruyle with the Urology Center of Colorado.
Removing the prostate is often done through a large incision in the abdomen, but Ruyle operated through five dime-sized cuts and with the help of a robot called Da Vinci that's been used in about 400 such surgeries.
The surgeon sat at a console a few feet away from Pearl. A miniature camera, placed through one incision, showed him a 3-D image of the inside of the body. Ruyle controlled tiny specialized surgical instruments.
"I have to put my thumb and index finger through two loops and I manipulate the robotic arm so it only does what I do and it mimics my motion," Ruyle said.
The doctor's hands never touched the patient.
"I actually tell patients I think I do a little bit better job with the robot, certainly I see much better, the magnification on the camera is about ten-fold what it would be with my eyes," Ruyle said.
Not only is there better precision and dexterity for the surgeon, there are benefits for the patient, Ruyle said: "Shorter stay in the hospital, less blood loss, back to your usual routine faster."
It takes about two hours to remove the prostate and then attach the bladder and urethra.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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