Da Vinci Surgical System

Rush University Medical Center was the first Chicago hospital to offer robotic surgery with 3-D in high definition.

The da Vinci Surgical System provides patients with a minimally invasive alternative to an open prostatectomy.

Traditional vs. da Vinci Surgery

da Vinci Prostatectomy: Surgeons are able to remove the prostate with minimal pain and blood loss, a shorter hospital stay, and less time that the catheter needs to be in place. This minimally invasive technique, involving five 1-centimeter incisions on the abdomen, uses 3-D vision that enables surgeons to accurately and precisely remove the prostate, while sparing vital nerves that are essential for potency and continence. Patients typically are released from the hospital the next day, and the foley catheter is usually kept in for about seven days. Most patients only need a few Advil and Tylenol during the first days after surgery.

Traditional prostatectomy: Traditional surgery for prostate cancer involves making an incision from the pubic bone to the belly button. A patient can expect three to five days in the hospital and may need blood transfusions. Recovery time is longer, as is a prolonged need for a foley catheter.

Benefits of the da Vinci System

Advantages of the da Vinci prostatectomy include:

• Decreased pain
• Reduced hospital stay
• Less risk of blood transfusion
• Improved continence
• Shorter time for foley catheter
• Better nerve sparing, allowing for improved erections
• Equivalent cancer cure rates compared to traditional treatments

Experience

Kalyan Latchamsetty, MD, a urologist and the clinical director for the Coleman Foundation Comprehensive Prostate Cancer Clinic, has been performing this procedure since 2004 and has had excellent results with this technique in terms of cancer cure rates, continence and potency. 

Additional Resources

For more information about the da Vinci Surgical System for a prostatectomy, please visit the da Vinci surgery Web site.