Who Is a Candidate for Robotic Prostate Surgery?
Robotic devices for prostate surgery let surgeons perform complex procedures with expanded movement, 3-D visualization and a better view of the operative field than with traditional methods. Robotic surgery causes less trauma to the surgical site, resulting in faster patient recovery. Some patients are better-suited for the procedure.
Other People Are Reading
-
Extent of Disease
-
The prostate cancer must be clinically localized; that is, confined to the prostate gland. It cannot have spread to the lymph nodes and other organs.
Previous Abdominal Surgery
-
A history of surgeries on the abdominal region, such as appendectomy, hernia or gall bladder procedures, doesn't preclude the use of robotic method for prostate surgery.
-
Exclusionary Neurological Factors
-
Patients who have had a stroke or cerebral aneurysm likely aren't candidates for robotic prostate surgery, as the surgical table is titled head-first at a 45° angle for the one- to three-hour procedure.
Exclusionary Cardiac and Pulmonary Factors
-
The following cardiac and pulmonary disorders are among those that exclude patients from robotic prostate surgery: class II–IV angina, class II–IV congestive heart failure, severe restrictive lung disease, asthma or cardio-obstructive pulmonary disease and any condition requiring supplemental oxygen.
Miscellaneous Contraindicating Factors
-
Other factors include severe glaucoma, hip disease or disorder that's not compatible with the surgical position, and obesity with a BMI of 40 or greater.
-
References
- "Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine": Development of a Patient Selection Protocol Prior to Robotic Radical Prostatectomy in the Preoperative Assessment Unit (PAU); Dyer J; March 2010.
- "PCRI Insights": Nerve Sparing Robotic Prostatectomy: A Novel and Minimally Invasive Treatment of Prostate Cancer; Tewari A, Menon M; November 2004.
