Robotic Prostatectomy
Robotic prostatectomy involves very precise removal of the whole prostate gland, seminal vesicles and, sometimes, the draining lymph glands. It is performed through several small puncture (keyhole) incisions in your lower abdomen, using robotic instruments.
The aims in men with cancer confined to the prostate gland are:
to remove the cancer;
to achieve a clear margin away from the tumour;
to drop the PSA blood level below 0.1 ng per ml;
to reduce the need for any further treatment (e.g. radiotherapy or hormone treatment);
to preserve urine control;
if possible and appropriate, to preserve the erection nerves to the penis.
Robotic surgery uses sophisticated mini-instruments which are totally under the control of the surgeon. The robot mimics and assists the surgeon’s movements; it does not do the operation. This technique is now widely used because of its high degree of surgical accuracy, and because recovery is much faster than it is for open surgery.
Radical prostatectomy margin rates in Australia and New Zealand.
PCOR-ANZ (Prostate Cancer Outcomes Registry - Australia and New Zealand) https://prostatecancerregistry.org
PCOR-ANZ (Prostate Cancer Outcomes Registry - Australia and New Zealand) is a large-scale prostate cancer registry that collects information on the care provided and the outcomes for men diagnosed with prostate cancer in Australia and New Zealand. The above two graphs should the percentage of positive margins for radical prostatectomy in both countries. The graph on the left is for when the cancer does not extend beyond the prostate capsule(pT2) while the right is for when cancer extends into the tissue adjacent to the prostate (pT3 or pT4).
