NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Jan 6, 2014) -  A new, multi-institute study shows that robotic surgery is the safest approach for prostate removal surgery. Nationwide, findings confirm that robotic-assisted prostate surgery yields significantly fewer complications and hospital readmissions than open prostate surgery. Overall complication rates for robotic surgery were 5.62 percent, compared to 23.25 percent for open surgery.

Earlier this year, two separate studies also demonstrated the safety of robot-assisted prostate removal over the traditional, open technique. Robotic surgery consistently yielded better results than open surgery in cancer-free surgical margins and reduced complications, both during and after surgery. David B. Samadi, MD, Chairman of Urology and Chief of Robotic Surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital, performs his own highly successful version of robotic prostate surgery, the Samadi Modified Advanced Robotic Technique (SMART) surgery. His extensive surgical experience paired with unique surgical customizations gives patients superior recovery and quality of life results after prostate cancer treatment.

"Robotic surgery patients are seeing tremendous surgical and recovery benefits," said Dr. Samadi. "Under the care of a highly experienced surgeon, patients are able to put prostate cancer behind them and enjoy life as they did before surgery."

Open approaches to radical prostatectomy

During a traditional prostatectomy, the surgeon operates through a single incision to remove the prostate and nearby tissues. This is referred to as an open approach.

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) is performed using a remote robotic interface called the da Vinci system. During robotic prostate surgery, Dr. Samadi sits at a panel near the operating table and controls robotic arms to perform the operation through several small incisions in the patient's abdomen.

Robotic surgery is a minimally invasive approach, resulting in significantly less blood loss than open surgery. This allows Dr. Samadi to see the prostatic anatomy more clearly. The visualization afforded by the robot allows him to remove the cancer at an equally effective rate to open surgery, even for high-grade or advanced tumors. While most experienced open surgeons have a blood transfusion rate of 10-40 percent, Dr. Samadi said he has never had to give a blood transfusion due to extreme blood loss.

Robotic surgery patients experience less abdominal trauma due to smaller incisions than with open surgery, and most have less pain. Dr. Samadi said his robotic surgery patients are generally more satisfied with their incisions after this procedure than those who undergo open surgery. Patients are advised to recover at home for three to four weeks after surgery, though most return to work rather quickly, some as early as two weeks. Patients will typically be catheterized for a week after surgery.

Dr. Samadi's SMART surgery also optimizes patient recovery with regards to urinary control and erectile function. 

Lastly, robotic prostate removal results in fewer surgical complications and reduces unplanned hospital readmissions. On average, the robotic surgeries in the Journal of Endourology study took just over a half-hour longer than the open procedures but, according to Dr. Samadi, "The precision and outcomes are well worth the OR time." The study can be accessed electronically at: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24251547

Dr. Samadi performs SMART surgery for prostate cancer at the Lenox Hill Hospital Prostate Cancer Center in New York City. 

Related Sites:

Lenox Hill Prostate Cancer Center - Click Here 
http://www.lenoxhillhospital.org/prostatecancer.aspx

http://www.smart-surgery.com/

http://www.roboticoncology-es.com/