Is da Vinci Surgery Right for You?
If your physician recommends prostate surgery, you may be a candidate for an effective, minimally invasive surgical procedure called da Vinci Prostatectomy.
Prostate Cancer Treatment
Prostate cancer is among the most commonly diagnosed cancers, affecting one in six men in the United States. Nearly all new prostate cancer diagnoses are localized, meaning the cancer has not spread. Multiple treatment options are available and should be discussed with your physician.
Radical Prostatectomy
Radical prostatectomy surgically removes the prostate gland and is the most common treatment for prostate cancer. The major potential benefit of radical prostatectomy is a cancer cure in patients in whom prostate cancer is truly localized.
Traditional open prostatectomy requires an 8 to 10 inch incision. With da Vinci, the prostate is removed using five tiny incisions.
How da Vinci Surgery is Performed
Surgeons at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City use the da Vinci Si Surgical System, one of the latest innovations in minimally-invasive surgery. The da Vinci System provides surgeons with enhanced capabilities, including high-definition, three-dimensional vision and a field of view magnified by a factor of 10. The highly magnified view of the surgical site allows the surgeon to clearly see and manipulate around nerves and blood vessels surrounding the prostate, maximizing preservation of urinary continence and sexual function.
The surgeon controls the da Vinci system while seated at a console, which translates his hand movements into extremely precise movements of tiny instruments placed inside the patient's body. The system's wristed instruments have an even greater range of motion than the human hand, offering extreme accuracy and dexterity.
Although it is often called a "robot," da Vinci cannot act on its own; the surgery is performed entirely by your surgeon. The technology provides the surgeon with several clinical advantages that allow him to perform complex procedures through a few tiny incisions, roughly the diameter of a pencil.
da Vinci Stats
The da Vinci system is now used in most prostatectomies performed in Michigan. It has been used successfully worldwide in hundreds of thousands of procedures to date.
Talk to Your Physician
Surgery with the da Vinci Surgical System may not be appropriate for every individual and results may vary. All prostate cancer treatments, including surgery, can increase risk of incontinence and/or urinary symptoms and impotence. Always ask your physician about all treatment options, as well as the risks and benefits.
For information on Urologists performing da Vinci surgery, click the go button.
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Is da Vinci Surgery Right for You?
The surgeon controls the da Vinci system while seated at a console, which translates his hand movements into extremely precise movements of tiny instruments placed inside the patient's body. The system's wristed instruments have an even greater range of motion than the human hand, offering extreme accuracy and dexterity.