Types of Prostatectomy
There are two common surgical approaches to removing the prostate: traditional open surgery and laparoscopic robotic-assisted surgery. Both techniques require general anesthesia and men undergoing either form of surgery have a urinary catheter for approximately one week following surgery. Fortunately, the long-term risks of urinary incontinence is less than 5 percent when surgery is performed by surgeons who perform these procedures frequently. The risk of erectile dysfunction requiring treatment is approximately 25 percent, depending somewhat on a patient's age and characteristics of his cancer.
With a traditional open approach, surgeons use a 4-5 inch incision to access the prostate. For many men with a high risk of prostate cancer having escaped the thin capsule of the prostate, open surgery remains the most appropriate option.
The laparoscopic robotic-assisted da Vinci® prostatectomy is performed through six 1/2-inch incisions. Marin General Hospital's da Vinci® Surgical System is the latest version of this technology, which also provides the most-advanced high-definition 3-D viewing, further enhancing a surgeon's visualization. Laparoscopic techniques reduce blood loss, and the smaller incisions generally allow for a shorter recovery with lower use of post-operative pain medication.