Hi nuzman9,
Thank you for your interesting question.
In Febuary 2005 I answered a similar question - recovering from da
vinci prostate surgery:
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=479132
However, some of the links are now non-working but the content is
relevant. As you read my answer, you'll be able to get a good idea of
the recovery from daVinci surgery, and a testimonial from a commenter
- satxru2.
In addition to my previous answer, I've provided you with a lot more information.
daVinci Prostatectom.com
http://www.davinciprostatectomy.com/video.html
da Vinci® Prostatectomy Video - turn on your speakers
(Watch Video and turn on your speakers)
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Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital - Minimally Invasive Prostate
Cancer Treatment: The da Vinci Surgical Robot
http://www.rwjuh.edu/medical_services/davinci.html
Patient benefits may include:
Smaller surgical incisions (one inch or less) with improved appearance
Less intraoperative blood loss and need for blood transfusion
Reduced postoperative pain and discomfort
Shorter hospital stay (two days)
Shorter catheter duration (seven to 10 days)
Faster overall recovery and return to work
Earlier restoration of urinary continence and erectile function
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Robotic Surgery - The Next Generation has Truly Improved upon Open Surgery
http://www.drmastandrea.com/robotics.html
"We have been using the Da Vinci robotic system to perform radical
prostatectomies for prostate cancer. The Da Vinci robotic system
allows us to access the prostate via laparoscopic ports and perform
detailed surgery using state-of-the-art machinery."
[edit]
"Will I be incontinent of urine (i.e. wear a diaper) after surgery?
The majority of men are continent after the procedure. Thus far we
have achieved a 100% continence rate. However, there is no guarantee
of continence. There is always a risk of incontinence following
prostate surgery. The robotic technique simply allows a much better
anastamosis of the bladder and urethra after the prostate is removed,
permitting improved healing and a quicker return to continence post
surgery."
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Forbes.com Going Under The Da Vinci
http://www.forbes.com/technology/2005/07/26/surgery-prostate-robots-cz_sk_0727surgeryside1.html?partner=vnu
NEW YORK -
"Three months after my own prostate operation, my surgeon, Dr. David
Samadi, Director of Robotic Laparoscopic Surgery at Columbia
Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City, gave me a chance to
watch him use da Vinci to perform the same procedure on another
patient. Although the operation was also visible in overhead monitors,
Dr. Samadi let me peak at the image that he sees through the da Vinci
system.
?With regular laparoscopy you only have one camera, which gives you a
two-dimensional view. You lose one dimension?depth perception. The 3-D
view with the robot is absolutely beautiful,? marvels Samadi."
[edit]
"No matter the method of surgery, removal of a cancerous prostate
gland is a complex operation done in a densely packed area of the male
anatomy. In conventional prostate surgery, surgeons make a 6-inch to
8-inch vertical incision on the lower abdomen. ?Why should you make an
8-inch incision to remove a 2-inch target?? asks Samadi. ?The trauma
to the body with conventional surgery is not proportionate to the
target organ.?
With conventional surgery, patients have a two- to three-day hospital
stay and are often kept on a catheter for ten days or more. It
typically takes conventional patients two months to get back to normal
activities. With the robotic surgery, prostate patients often get back
to normal activities within two weeks.
In a laparoscopic prostatectomy, the hospital stay is cut to a day or
two, and the period of post-operative cathertization is about half, or
just four to six days. Reason: the fine level of suturing in
reconnecting the urethra to the bladder. During my press visit to the
operating room, I viewed the delicate procedures involved in
re-joining these tissues.
Blood loss also tends to be significantly lower in da Vinci prostate
surgery, which virtually eliminates the need for blood transfusions.
In laparoscopic surgery, doctors use carbon dioxide to increase
pressure in the abdomen, which helps control bleeding. With a
magnified field of view, reduction in bleeding and the precise control
of da Vinci, surgeons have a better chance of sparing the two nerves
surrounding the prostate. Saving those nerves is crucial to recovery
of continence and potency.
More importantly, some of the early data on da Vinci prostate surgery,
such as from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, indicate that patients
undergoing the da Vinci operation had a better chance of being cancer
free after the operation. In da Vinci surgery, after the prostate is
surgically separated from surrounding tissues?and while still inside
the body?it is teased into a plastic pouch that?s attached to string.
At the very end of the operation, Samadi and his assistants pulled the
bag out of the body through a small incision near the patient?s navel.
My experience? I was admitted to Columbia Presbyterian hospital at 6
A.M. on a Friday morning and was discharged by noon on Saturday. By
Monday morning, I was working from home in my easy chair via my
wireless laptop. Within two weeks of my surgery, I was taking
mile-long daily walks. The five tiny incisions on my body caused no
pain and were barely noticeable after two months. Other than some
moderate discomfort in the first few days after surgery, I didn?t
suffer any serious side effects. I worked at home for two months and
then gradually returned to my long daily commute back to my office in
New York City.
The best news is that little more than a month after surgery my PSA
(prostate specific antigen) level had dropped from nearly 4.0 down to
less than 0.1. Of course, my doctors will continue to monitor my PSA,
but I?m grateful to Dr. Samadi and da Vinci."
=========
University of California, Irvine Department of Urology
http://www.ucihs.uci.edu/urology/Robot.html
http://www.ucihs.uci.edu/urology/prostate/surgery.html
=========
Lastly, I'd like to draw your attention to the Important Disclaimer at
the bottom of this page: Answers and comments provided on Google
Answers are general information, and are not intended to substitute
for informed professional medical advice.
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keyword search:
daVinci prostatectomy recovery continence + potency
compare DaVinci to open prostatectomy
Da Vinci prostate surgery recovery testimonials
da vinci prostate recovery stories + statements
=========
Best of luck to you!
tlspiegel |
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