Tag Archives: robot-assisted prostatectomy

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

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September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness, encouraging early detection, supporting those facing prostate cancer, and funding research for better outcomes. 

Prostate cancer develops when abnormal cells grow out of control in the prostate. 

Prostate cancer is the most diagnosed cancer among men, and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men in the United States. 

Each year, approximately 299,010 men (1 in 8) will be diagnosed with the disease during their lifetime. 

Certain groups face a higher risk of prostate cancer, including: 

  • Men over the age of 50 
  • Black men 
  • Men with a family history of prostate cancer 
  • Men who have been exposed to certain chemicals 
  • Military veterans 

One of the challenges of prostate cancer is that the early stages of the disease usually have no symptoms. Signs and symptoms of early-stage prostate cancer include: 

  • Blood in the urine, which makes it look pink, red, or cola-colored 
  • Blood in the semen 
  • Needing to urinate more often 
  • Trouble getting started when trying to urinate 
  • Waking up to urinate more often at night 

Unfortunately, by the time a man may notice changes, the cancer may already be advanced. Signs and symptoms of advanced prostate cancer include: 

  • Accidental leaking of urine 
  • Back pain 
  • Bone pain 
  • Erectile dysfunction 
  • Fatigue 
  • Losing weight without trying 
  • Weakness in the arms or legs 

To diagnose prostate cancer, a healthcare provider may use a physical exam and screening tests to show whether you have signs of the disease that require more testing. These tests include: 

  • A digital rectal exam 
  • Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test 
  • An MRI or transrectal ultrasound 
  • A biopsy of the prostate 

Treatment for prostate cancer depends on multiple factors, such as your overall condition, whether the cancer has spread, and how fast it is spreading. Most prostate cancers diagnosed in the early stages can be cured with treatment. If your cancer is slow-growing and hasn’t spread, your healthcare provider may monitor it instead of treating it right away. Your healthcare provider will monitor your cancer by using active surveillance. 

Surgery as a treatment for prostate cancer most often involves removing the prostate with a surgical procedure called prostatectomy. There are three ways a prostatectomy can be performed. They include: 

  • Laparoscopic prostatectomy 
  • Robotic prostatectomy 
  • Open prostatectomy 

Additional treatments for prostate cancer include: 

  • Radiation therapy 
  • External beam 
  • Brachytherapy 
  • Ablation therapy 
  • Cryoablation 
  • High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) 
  • Hormone therapy 
  • Chemotherapy 
  • Targeted therapy 
  • Immunotherapy 
  • Radiopharmaceutical treatments 

To schedule an appointment with an oncologist at our MediSys Health Network Cancer Center, or to learn more about our cancer care program, please call (718) 206-6742. 

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

Robot-Assisted Prostatectomy

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A prostatectomy is a surgical procedure that is performed to remove all or part of the prostate gland. It is used to treat prostate cancer and other prostate conditions.  

A robotic prostatectomy is a type of prostatectomy performed by a surgeon using surgical tools attached to robotic arms that assist in removing the prostate gland during the procedure.  

A robotic prostatectomy differs from a traditional open prostatectomy, which requires a large eight-to-ten-inch incision. Instead, a minimally invasive approach called laparoscopy allows the surgeon to operate with precise movements and allows the surgeon to operate by way of a one-to-two-inch incision and five much smaller incisions in the lower stomach.  

Although it is less invasive than open surgery, robotic prostatectomy is considered a major surgery.  

A robotic prostatectomy can be performed by using different approaches, depending on the condition that needs treatment, including: 

  • Robot-assisted radical laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) is used to treat prostate cancer by removing the entire prostate gland, surrounding tissues, and sometimes nearby lymph nodes 
  • Nerve-sparing prostatectomy is a surgical approach that takes the prostate gland while not trying to injure the nerves that play a role in erections. However, this may not be possible if there is cancer very close to the nerves. A non-nerve-sparing prostatectomy may be needed 
  • Simple robotic prostatectomy or partial prostatectomy only removes the inner part of the prostate, leaving the outer part intact. This procedure is performed to ease symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which is an enlarged prostate 

A partial prostatectomy eases urinary symptoms and complications resulting from blocked urine flow, such as: 

  • Urinary tract infections 
  • Trouble starting urination 
  • Stopping and starting while urinating  
  • An urgent need to urinate often 
  • Prolonged urination 
  • Urinating more than usual at night 
  • The feeling of not being able to fully empty the bladder 
  • Not being able to urinate 

It is possible to survive or live without a prostate. And like any surgery, robotic prostatectomy comes with some risks and side effects, and your healthcare team will work to lower these risks. 

A robotic prostatectomy has several benefits, as it can cause less pain and bleeding than traditional open surgery and allow for a shorter recovery time. 

To learn more about our robotic surgical procedures or schedule an appointment, contact Flushing Hospital Medical Center at (718) 670-5000. 

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.