Robotic prostate cancer surgery is leaving men with more impotence
October 25th, 2009 Posted in prostatectomyScientists have raised doubts against the efficacy of robotic prostate cancer surgery, claiming that instead of being a saviour, the procedure is leaving men with more incontinence and impotence than traditional techniques.
In the paper, the researchers compared the long-term results of “minimally invasive” prostate surgery, which is usually performed using robots, with old-fashioned surgery. They found that with robotic assistance, men left hospital a day earlier and they were 10 times less likely to need a blood transfusion. However, more than twice as many (4.7 per cent) suffered “genitourinary” complications. Almost a third more (16 per cent) were diagnosed with urinary incontinence, and the rate of erectile dysfunction rose by 40 per cent (to 27 per cent).
Study leader said that the new study did not take into account surgeons” levels of experience.
The study has been published in the Journal of the Amercian Medical Association.