There are a lot of alternative treatment options for prostate cancer such as hormonal therapy, radiotherapy and radical prostatectomy. Patients with well-differentiated tumor who are subjected to radical prostatectomy operation, demonstrate a disease-specific survival rate above 90% for 10 years. Therefore, radical prostatectomy is the most commonly preferred treatment option. Traditionally, radical prostatectomy operations are conducted by a large surgical incision which causes the following results: late recovery after the operation, longer hospital stay, exposure to higher wound infection risk, and a large scar tissue. However, robotic prostatectomies enable physicians to perform an operation via very little incisions which provides patients a less traumatic and minimally invasive treatment option.
Advantages of Robotic Radical Prostatectomy
• Reduced blood loss
Abdomen is inflated with a gas in robotic radical prostatectomy operations. As a result of this gas pressure, hemorrhages are reduced. At the end of the operation, gas is removed from the abdomen. Moreover, by the help of 3D and high-resolution cameras that magnifiy the operation field, hemorrhage sites can be observed more clearly and stopped early.
• Shorter hospital stay
Due to the smaller surgical incision and reduced blood loss in robotic surgery, patients can be discharged earlier compared to the open procedures.
• Less pain
The smaller incision inflicts less pain compared with the open operations.
• Better cancer control
By the help of 3D and high-resolution images and instruments that can move 7 degrees, cancerous prostate tissue is better visualized and dissected in robotic prostatectomy. In robotic surgery, apical region of the prostate can be visualized and dissected way better and clearly. As a result, positive surgical margins are reduced significantly.
Better urination control
Robotic prostatectomy provides better urinary control rates. Better visualization, reduced hemorrhage, and possibility of keeping a longer urethral length are the major reasons that enable better urinary control.
Urologic Robotic Surgery in Turkey
The first robotic urologic surgery in Turkey had been performed by Ali Riza Kural, M.D. in 2005. Currently, Prof. Kural is on the 8th year of this program with more than 800 Robotic Radical Prostatectomies, more than 150 Robotic Kidney Surgery and more than 50 Robotic Bladder Surgeries successfully. Dr. Kural has presided many meetings and given numerous speeches in various international and national conventions. Furthermore, currently he is a member of the editorial board of the “Journal of Robotic Surgery” and board member of ERUS (European Robotic Urology Society)
Prof. Kural hosted and the president of World Endourological Congress WCE 2012 which was held in Istanbul in September 2012. The meeting achieved great success with 2000 international and 600 national attendees. It was also the first meeting in Turkey to broadcast live 3D surgeries.
Currently, Dr. Kural is the Head of Robotic Surgery & Urology Department of Acibadem Maslak Hospital, Istanbul.