The prostate is a gland of the male reproductive system responsible for the production and storage of seminal fluid. It is situated underneath the bladder and in front of the rectum. The prostate surrounds part of the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder during urination and semen during ejaculation. Prostate cancer occurs when these cells mutate and grow uncontrollably. The illness has the potential to become lethal if the cancerous cells spread from the prostate gland to other body systems.

Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer in the United States and Europe. Over 200,000 men will be diagnosed this year in the United States. There are several treatment options available for men diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer treatment through surgery is considered to be the “gold standard” by which the effectiveness of all other treatment modalities are measured. The robotic approach represents a refinement of surgical technique inasmuch the prostate is visualized and surgery is performed with a previously unattainable degree of precision.

In robotic surgery, the surgeon operates a suite of instruments that enables him to visualize and operate on the prostate and adjacent organs with a very high degree of magnification, precision, and clarity. The patient is fully anesthesized and these instruments are inserted into the body through six small incisions in the abdomen. These instruments provide brilliant lighting insdie the body cavity and enable the surgeon to view the prostate and surrounding organs through high-definition, three-dimensional color cameras. Because blood loss is typically minimal the area is consequently visualized in superb detail.

During the procedure, the prostate is removed through one of the incisions without the need for the surgeon to ever reach into the patient's body. The robotic instruments translate and scale down the movement of the surgeon's fingers to a very small level and enable the surgeon to operate with incredible precision; this is critical toward the safe handling of the nerves that control sexual function and the structures involved in urinary continence.