Robotic Prostate Surgery

[hinx]

How important is this technique developed by a urologist who specializes in robotic surgery?
It involves the use of dissolvable sutures during laparoscpic robotic prostatectomy.He says dissolvable sutures are less likely to damage the nerves surrounding the prostate during the robotic surgery.Past methods of controlling bleeding after removal of the prostate always carried a potential of damaging the nerves that lie so close to the prostate.This supposedly is a better way to control the bleeding without distrubing the nerves.My question is would you feel just as comfortable with the standard methods of cauterization or minature temporary vascular clamps versus the dissolvable sutures.

[hinx]

Thanks very much

[HeinrikMD]

Hi,

inquire also the comfort zone of the surgeon -  part of your decision would also be based on what the surgeon is really good at.

[HeinrikMD]

Hi,
I am not sure if you mean comfortable in the sense that the patient will feel better during  recovery or comfortable in the oncologic sense - comfortable that the outcomes will not be compromised by the new technique.

the first sense may be somewhat easy to answer, there is likely no difference in what the patient actually feels  afterwards. The main advantage of laparoscopic and robotic is the reduction in bleeding and hospitalization/recovery time.

Finer points in the technique to reduce chances of complications are  a bit harder to answer until there is enough accumulated experience to really say that a technique  really makes a difference on top of the approach (laparoscopic/robotic/open surgery)  and surgeon skill. The best guide you could have at this time would be the experience of the  doctor/institution where you would have the surgery.

at the end of  it though it all comes down to surgical candidate selection , not everyone can undergo a procedure of their choice, during the operation, some techniques may need to be modified or not  done at all depending of course on what the your anatomy shows.