Over the last two decades there has been revolutionary improvement in medical surgical technology. The most famous robotic prostate surgery available today is through the da Vinci Surgical System, manufactured by Intuitive Surgical. Robotic prostate surgery is gaining popularity as a less traumatic and minimally invasive alternative for treating and removing prostate cancer. The da Vinci robotic prostate surgery enables surgeons to overcome many of the shortcomings of both open prostatectomy and laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.

A minimally invasive surgical procedure, called robotic prostate surgery, uses finely controlled robotic instruments to perform the surgery safely while enhancing patient recovery and outcome. Sitting at the da Vinci surgical console, Dr. Samadi performs robotic prostate surgery by controlling the device consisting of high-resolution cameras and micro-surgical instruments. Powered by state-of-the-art robotic technology, the surgeon’s hand movements are scaled, filtered and seamlessly translated into precise movement of the EndoWrist Instruments.

Unlike laparoscopic surgery, da Vinci Surgical System instruments used in robotic prostate surgery can turn in all directions with 90 degrees of articulation and 7 degrees of freedom. During robotic prostate surgery the da Vinci robot provides the surgeon with improved visualization, dexterity, and precision compared with open or laparoscopic surgery, while enabling operation through 1-2 cm incisions. This allows Dr. Samadi to perform fine computer-controlled movements and to perform a more precise and minimally invasive robotic prostate surgery, protecting his patients' delicate prostate nerves that control bladder and sexual function. Robotic prostate surgery achieves the same or better results than using a surgeon’s own hands in open or laparoscopic surgery.

Click here to read more about State of the Art Robotic Prostate Surgery: da Vinci Robotic Prostatectomy

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Based on his clinical experiences, Dr. Samadi concludes that robotic prostate surgery overcomes the limitations of open and laparoscopic surgery.

Computer 3-D Visualization - The robotic prostate surgery system gives surgeons the feeling that their hands are immersed in the patient’s body, even though they are performing the surgery remotely. All movements of the surgeon’s hands are micro-scaled by the da Vinci robot. As a result, the surgeon feels completely connected to surgery. Robotic prostate surgery provides a much brighter and sharper image than the human eye, or any other 3-D laparoscopic prostatectomy endoscope. The robotic prostate surgery system incorporates a proprietary camera that allows the surgeon to easily zoom, rotate, or change the image visualization. The resulting 3-D image is bright and clear, with no flicker as with other laparoscopic systems. Robotic hand simulation and 3-D visualization make the da Vinci robotic prostate surgery more advanced than other minimally invasive surgical procedures currently available.

Precise Robotic Prostate Surgery - Using the da Vinci System for robotic prostate surgery, the surgeon can use “motion scaling,” a feature that translates small hand movements outside the patient’s body into precise movements inside the body. The surgeon controls the robotic prostate surgery robotic arms from the da Vinci console using natural hand and wrist movements. Motion scaling during robotic prostate surgery is designed to allow greater precision than is normally achievable in open and laparoscopic prostatectomy surgery. Indeed, conventional laparoscopic instruments provide surgeons less flexibility, dexterity and range of motion. Proprietary instruments called EndoWrist and enhanced range-of-motion of robotic arms enable surgeons to reach difficult places and to operate safely in the confined space of the closed chest, abdomen, or pelvis. Laparoscopic instruments in use today do not replicate hand movements and cannot perform precise movement and manipulations need for robotic prostate surgery, such as reaching behind tissues, suturing, and dissection. The system also filters out unpredictable movements and tremors inherent in human hands.

Using Robotic Prostate Surgery – During a robotic prostate surgery procedure, the patient side cart is positioned next to the operating table with the da Vinci robotic arms arranged to provide entry points into the human body and prostate. EndoWrist instruments, and the da Vinci Insite Vision System, are mounted onto the robot’s electromechanical arms representing the surgeon’s left and right hands. They provide the functionality to perform complex tissue manipulation through the entry points, or ports. EndoWrist instruments include forceps, scissors, electrocautery, scalpels and other surgical tools. If the surgeon needs to change an Endowrist instrument, common during robotic prostate surgery, the instrument is withdrawn from the surgical system using controls at the console. Typically, an operating room nurse standing near the patient physically removes the EndoWrist instruments and replaces them with new instruments.

Surgeon Console - The surgeon performs the robotic prostate surgery while sitting at the console, manipulating the hand controls and viewing the operation live through the da Vinci Insite Vision System. This is more comfortable for the surgeon and reduces operating fatigue, a known hindrance in open surgery. The robotic prostate surgery is completed with the removal of the da Vinci instruments and closure of the small incisions in the abdomen with sutures.

Dr. Samadi’s patient testimonials and media coverage attest to his robotic prostate surgery expertise. He has performed over 4,500 robotic prostate procedures.

The majority of Dr. Samadi’s da Vinci robotic prostate surgery patients are discharged within 24 hours of their surgery. For most patients, Dr. Samadi’s use of the da Vinci Surgical System for robotic prostate surgery provides superior benefits over traditional open or laparoscopic prostatectomy, including*:

• Quicker return to normal activity
• Shorter hospitalization (most patients go home the next day)
• Reduced risk of incontinence and impotence
• Less blood loss and fewer transfusions
• Reduced pain

Read more about Dr. Samadi's robotic prostate surgery and prostate cancer treatment philosophy

*As with any surgical procedure, the benefits of a da Vinci Surgical System cannot be guaranteed as surgery is both patient and procedure specific.

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Summary of Da Vinci Robotic Prostate Surgery Benefits:

Time in OR

Complication Rates

Additional Information about da Vinci Surgical System:

The da Vinci Surgical System (Intuitive Surgical), is the first totally "intuitive" laparoscopic surgical robot in existence. As of today, the FDA has cleared the da Vinci Surgical System for use in performing many surgical procedures including general laparoscopic surgery, thoracoscopic (chest) surgery, laparoscopic radical prostatectomies and thoracoscopically-assisted cardiotomy procedures. Additionally, the da Vinci Surgical System is presently involved in a cardiac clinical trial in the United States for totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Learn More About da Vinci Robotic Surgery:

Robotic Surgery FAQs
da Vinci Robotic Surgery System
SMART Surgery Technique
Prostate Cancer Treatment Trifecta
Prostatectomy Statistics

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