Prostate Cancer Awareness
| Health Resources: |
|
Prostate Health
The prostate is a gland that wraps around a man's urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder. Cancer can form inside this gland and exist for years without causing symptoms.
|
In the United States, 1-in-6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, but if detected early, it often can be treated quite effectively. Education, awareness and proper screenings at appropriate intervals are the keys to good prostate health. That's why Northwest Health System has joined a national prostate cancer awareness effort that seeks to inform people about the basics of prostate health and treatment and encourages timely screenings.
Prostatectomy
Changing the Experience of Prostate Surgery
Referred to by many as robotic surgery for prostate cancer or robotic prostatectomy, da Vinci® Prostatectomy is more accurately a robot-assisted, minimally invasive surgery that is quickly becoming the preferred treatment for removal of the prostate following early diagnosis of prostate cancer. In fact, studies suggest that da Vinci Prostatectomy may be the most effective, least invasive prostate surgery performed today.
Though any diagnosis of cancer can be traumatic, the good news is that if your doctor recommends prostate surgery, the cancer was probably caught early. And, with da Vinci Prostatectomy, the likelihood of a complete recovery from prostate cancer without long-term side effects is, for most patients, better than it has ever been. da Vinci Prostatectomy is performed with the assistance of the da Vinci Surgical System – the latest evolution in robotics technology. The da Vinci Surgical System enables surgeons to operate with unmatched precision and control using only a few small incisions. Recent studies suggest that da Vinci Prostatectomy may offer improved cancer control and a faster return to potency and continence. da Vinci Prostatectomy also offers these potential benefits:
Significantly less pain
- Less blood loss
- Fewer complications
- Less scarring
- A shorter hospital stay
- And a faster return to normal daily activities
Drs. Chad Brekelbaum, Nirmal Kilambi and Anthony Woodruff (all in Fayetteville) and Dr. Robert Zimmerman (Rogers) are the only Urologists in Northwest Arkansas trained in the da Vinci Prostatectomy. For more information on these doctors, visit Find A Physician on our website or call 1-800-734-2024.
Types of Prostatectomy:
Approaches to this procedure include traditional open surgery, conventional laparoscopic surgery or da Vinci ® Prostatectomy, which is a robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery.
da Vinci Prostatectomy is referred to by many as robotic surgery for prostate cancer or robotic prostatectomy, da Vinci® Prostatectomy is more accurately a robot-assisted, minimally invasive surgery that is quickly becoming the preferred treatment for removal of the prostate following early diagnosis of prostate cancer. In fact, studies suggest that da Vinci Prostatectomy may be the most effective, least invasive prostate surgery performed today.
Click here for more information on da Vinci Prostatectomy.
With a Traditional Open Procedure, your surgeon uses an 8-10 inch incision to access the prostate. This approach often results in substantial blood loss, a lengthy, uncomfortable recovery and a risk of impotence and incontinence.
Conventional laparoscopy uses a specialized surgical camera and rigid instruments to access and remove the prostate using a series of small incisions. This approach provides your surgeon with better visualization than an open approach. In addition, it provides patients the benefits of a minimally invasive procedure.
Despite these advantages, conventional laparoscopy relies on rigid instruments and standard 2D video, technical limitations that can be challenging for the surgeon. Because of these drawbacks, conventional laparoscopy doesn’t lend itself well to complex procedures like prostatectomy. Therefore, very few urologists use this approach for prostatectomy. Moreover, neither laparoscopy nor open surgery can provide adequate visualization for a very precise, nerve-sparing prostatectomy.
Male Anatomy
