Prostate cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer death in American men, but there are ways to get rid of it, once it`s detected. Some people are choosing robotic surgery, because of the potential benefits over regular surgery.
“I offer robotic assisted prostatectomy, and I think that’s the key. It's still done by surgeons. The robotic platform is just assisting the movement of the instruments,” Dr. John David Terrell with Sparks Urology said. “Recent data showed that about 80 percent of prostatectomies in the U.S. now are being performed robotically.
It should come as no surprise that more people are choosing robotic surgery, considering the differences between it and the alternative options.
“The potential benefits are a decreased need for transfusion of blood, decreased blood loss, shorter hospital stay, shorter post-operative recovery time and less pain,” Dr. Terrell said.
But, he added, the surgical outcomes are equal.
“I would recommend the robotic over any other surgery,” Martin Walton of Van Buren said.
Walton first met Dr. Terrell in February, at which point he had a biopsy done.
“About the first of March is when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. It was kind of a numb feeling. I didn't really know which direction to go in or what to go with,” Walton said.
He decided to go with robotic surgery and says he`s glad he did.
“I stayed in the hospital two days, and after that I was up and able to move in the house and do little things that I wanted to do,” Walton said.
Walton had surgery on May 22nd. He will now have to be tested every three months. Dr. Terrell says early detection is the key to surviving prostate cancer.