FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT ROBOTIC SURGERY
Q. Do you do the entire surgery yourself, from beginning to end?
A. Yes, I am present throughout and conduct every step of the surgery. The use of the word robotic is sometimes confusing to people. I am assisted by the robotic technology, but the machine, which is merely an advanced aid, could never function without me. I never leave the room and I perform every step of the operation myself.
Q. How is the robotic program at Mount Sinai different from other hospitals?
A. If you choose me as your surgeon, you’re getting three doctors in one. Let me explain what I mean by that. Ive performed traditional or open surgery, laparoscopic surgery and robotic surgery. I bring all 3 methods to my practice and each builds on the next. Another hugely important difference is my staff. The team I work with has been with me for 7 years. They get to know our patients and work with them through every stage of the process. They attend patients before, during and after surgery. It is uncommon to find this level of consistency and personal care and exceptional to get this level of expertise from a surgical staff.
Q. If the da Vinci robotic system were to fail during surgery, what would you do?
A. Thankfully, thats never happened. But if it did, I am trained and experienced in traditional, or open, and laparoscopic surgery. Id simply continue the operation using the other procedures Im thoroughly familiar with. By way of analogy, if a pilots automatic landing systems fail, he or she will land the plane manually and will have been trained to do so.
Q. Why is volume, or number of surgeries performed, important in choosing a surgeon?
A. I am a specialist in prostate and bladder surgery. Ive performed over 1600 surgeries to date. Nothing I see while operating is unusual or unfamiliar. I have witnessed everything that may possibly occur. The terrain of my chosen field is intimately and thoroughly understood by me so that any guesswork is completely absent from the equation.
Q. In open surgery, you rely on your sense of touch. Is it hard to operate without it?
A. Open (traditional) surgeons argue that the sense of touch is important in guiding them through the surgery. But blood is inherent to open surgery. There is no way around the fact that blood pools at the surgical site of open surgery, making it very difficult to see. Open surgery feels like walking blind to me. I much prefer the visual clarity and the consequent precision gained from robotic-assisted surgery.
Q. If I decide to go with radiation instead of surgery, can I have surgery later, if the radiation treatment is unsuccessful?
A. Surgery is not an option after radiation treatment. However, the reverse is possible. If you choose surgery, and your doctor determines after the operation that the cancer has returned, you may, at that point, choose radiation. Radiation depletes the body and weakens its immune response. This is the reason why surgery is not performed after radiation treatment.
Q. What, in your opinion, is the greatest benefit of robotic surgery?
A. Open surgery is considered successful when the cancer is removed. That may mean that the patient is left incontinent and/or impotent. I consider robotic surgery successful when the cancer is cured, and the patient has full continence and potency. All 3 categories must be met for me to consider the surgery a success. This means quality of life is at its highest.
Robotic Surgery Volume Growth
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"I was lucky to find Dr. David Samadi: a patient, caring, gifted healer who surpassed all my expectations. He has earned my deepest respect and gratitude, and I recommend him unconditionally..." 
 "Robotic surgery volume growth")
