Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center is now utilizing the da Vinci S Robotic Surgical System as a revolutionary new method of treating prostate cancer, announced Alexander J. Hatala, president and CEO of the Lourdes Health System. "We pride ourselves on providing our patients with the most innovative treatment options," said Alexander J. Hatala, president and CEO of the Lourdes Health System. "The daVinci S system is the forefront of minimally invasive surgery and is an exceptionally valuable tool for prostate surgery, for both the patient and the surgeon."

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death among American men, according to the National Prostate Cancer Foundation. It is estimated that one in six males will develop the disease during his lifetime. However, promising new treatment options have been developed to help combat this threatening disease.

Da Vinci Robotic Prostatectomy surgery is a less-traumatic and minimally invasive alternative for treating and removing prostate cancer, according to Rajen Butani, M.D., a fellowship-trained urologist on staff at Lourdes. "Until recently, men facing prostate cancer usually had surgery traditionally performed in an open manner, called open prostatectomy, which involves large incisions and post-operative side effects for patients," he said.

Using this procedure, the entire cancerous prostate gland is removed and there are risks of excessive blood loss during surgery, post-operative infections, long hospital stays, and considerable pain. Following open prostatectomy surgery, patients often have limited activity, and may lose bladder control and sexual function due to severance of the delicate nerves around the walnut-sized prostate gland.

The da Vinci Surgical System does not replace surgeons, but rather enhances their abilities to perform delicate procedures, said Dr. Butani. The da Vinci S Surgical System provides the surgeon with 3-D imaging of the operating field and intuitive hand movement--two major improvements over standard laparoscopic surgery. Traditional laparoscopic surgery has 2-D imaging, and the movement of instruments is "counter-intuitive," similar to doing surgery while looking into a mirror, explained Dr. Butani. "The da Vinci is the first robotic surgical system to provide the surgeon with nearly all of the natural movements of the human wrist. It also eliminates natural hand tremor and improves dexterity to enable surgeons to do ever-finer surgery in a more controlled manner."

Following robotic-assisted surgery, patients typically experience less pain, less risk of infection. less blood loss and scarring, shorter hospital stays and faster recovery and return to normal activities, said Dr. Butani.

Currently, the da Vinci Surgical System will be used by urologists at Lourdes to perform prostatectomies, but will expand to encompass other specialties and procedures over time, according to Hatala. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the da Vinci® Surgical System for use in adult and pediatric urologic surgical procedures, gynecologic surgical procedures and some cardiac-related procedures.

NOTE TO EDITORS: At your convenience, reporters are invited to a hands-on demonstration of the da Vinci S Robotic Surgery System. Contact the Public Relations Office to schedule an interview with our experts and to "test drive" the equipment to see how this amazing technology works in person.