Oct 25, 2008 10:55 am US/Pacific
Prostate Cancer Procedure Offers Quicker Recovery
DENVER, Colo. (CBS) ―
Prostate cancer affects one in every six men in the United States, and is highly curable if caught early enough. This year alone more than 186,000 men will be diagnosed with prostrate cancer, men like Ed Pearl.
At 58, he was healthy and fit. So he was surprised when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He checked into the Urology Center of Colorado to have the cancerous gland removed, reports CBS station WBZ-TV in Boston.
Removing the prostate is often done through a large incision in the abdomen. But Dr. Stephen Ruyle with the Urology Center of Colorado operated on Ed Pearl through five dime-sized cuts - with the help of a robot called da Vinci.
A miniature camera placed through one incision allows him to see a 3-D image of the inside of the body. The doctor's hands never touch the inside of the patient, instead he controls tiny specialized surgical instruments with the help of da Vinci.
"I have to put my thumb and index finger through two loops and I manipulate the robotic arm so it only does what I do and it mimics my motion," Ruyle said.
"I actually tell patients I think I do a little bit better job with the robot. Certainly I see much better. The magnification on the camera is about ten-fold what it would be with my eyes," Ruyle said.
Not only is there better precision and dexterity for the surgeon, there are other benefits for the patient including a shorter hospital stay, less blood loss, and quicker recovery.
The procedure takes about two hours. It is performed at a number of Massachusetts Hospitals.
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CBS News Interactive: Healthwatch
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