The St Vincent’s Hospital Urology Department has for the first time in Sydney used the Da Vinci Robotic Surgery Device to perform radical prostatectomy procedures on patients with prostate cancer with outstanding results and reduced side effects.

With the surgeon operating from a console, the robot operates through five key-hole incisions. Having the robotic arms control the surgical instruments and cameras, the surgeon’s dexterity is increased for the difficult aspects of the procedure to remove the prostate. This improved dexterity helps to spare the nerves to preserve erectile function, continence, quality of life and recovery times.

Of all cancers, prostate cancer remains the second biggest killer of Australian males. The surgeons already using the Da Vinci Robot regard it as possibly the biggest advance in prostate cancer in the past 25 years.

For the surgeon, the benefits are improved three-dimensional colour view of the operation, 15 times magnification and intuitive movement when operating the instruments from the console with six degrees of movement.

For the patient, the benefits are numerous including better outcomes, less pain, shorter hospital stays, reduced side effects, far less blood loss, less infection and greater accuracy.

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