Understanding The Fine Nuances Of Radical Prostatectomy – Part I

Radical prostatectomy is a surgical procedure employed for removal of the prostate gland and the adjacent tissue surrounding it. The operation performed to eliminate prostate cancer could be done by either open surgery or by the procedure of laparoscopic surgery that is done through tiny incisions that are made during the course of the operation.

Radical prostatectomy is mostly conducted when test outcomes depict that the spread of cancer has not proliferated beyond the perimeters of the prostate, i.e., it is still in stages I and II.

Mostly, laparoscopic surgery is manually conducted, though there are certain doctors that perform the surgery by employing the usage of guiding robotic arms that clutch the tools needed during surgery. This is known as robot-aided prostatectomy.

Open Surgery

During open surgery, a fine slit is made by the surgeon in order to facilitate easy access to the prostate gland. As the case demands, the slit is done on either the lower abdomen or the groin area in between the anus and scrotum.

In the widely employed retropubic approach used during radical prostatectomy, the cut is done on the lower abdomen. During the course of the procedure, the surgeon additionally removes the lymph nodes in the location to be sent for cancer testing.

In the perineal approach, the incision is done in the groin area. The recuperative period following this surgery might be shorter as compared to the retropubic approach. In order to remove the lymph nodes for cancer testing, the doctor would need to make a separate cut in order to do it. If the outcome of the PSA test and based on the cancer grade, if the lymph nodes are detected to be cancer-free, the surgeon would not remove the lymph nodes.

Laparoscopic Surgery

During this form of surgery, there are many small-sized slits made in the abdominal area by the surgeon. A laparoscope which is an illuminated viewing apparatus is introduced through one of those incisions. The surgeon would then employ specialised instruments to gain access and take out the prostate through the other slits that were made.

Those men operated by laparoscopic surgery have lesser bleeding during the surgery and swifter recovery rates as compared to those men that had open surgery. Laparoscopic prostatectomy is still not commonly available and as it is a rather novel technique and the outcome derived from long lasting follow-ups, subsequent to treatment are not yet obtainable.

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