Q: WHAT KIND OF PROBLEMS CAN PROSTATE CANCER CAUSE?
A: Prostate cancer starts developing years before it starts causing trouble. At first, the disease is only limited to the prostate. Due to cancer growth, the prostate starts to put pressure on the urethra, which consequently becomes narrower and causes urinary problems. Patients suffer from weak urine stream, have trouble urinating and have the feeling that their bladder is not completely empty. The cancerous tissue can also spread to nearby organs. It most commonly spreads towards the urinary bladder, where it advances to the neck of the bladder and the urethral entrance to the bladder. This consequently causes obstruction of the urine flow from the kidneys to the bladder and impairs kidney function. Prostate cancer patients often notice blood in their urine. However, blood in the seminal fluid is rarely caused by prostate cancer. The prostate membrane stretches due to the spreading of cancer cells, which increases the pain in the lower abdomen. Pain in the skeleton is felt when prostate cancer metastasizes and advances to bone tissue. At first, the patients feel pain in their spine and later also in other bones. Bone tissue metastasized by prostate cancer cells is more fragile. Bones can thus easily break even with slight injuries, which is also referred to as pathologic fracture. It most commonly occurs in the spine area, which can result in paralyzing the lower body (paraplegia). When cancer cells also advance to the bone marrow, patients become anemic (anemia).
Q: HOW COMMON IS PROSTATE CANCER?
A: Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men. It is estimated that one out of six men will suffer from prostate cancer.
Q: CAN PROSTATE CANCER BE CURED?
A: It is generally known that the sooner the cancer is detected, the better the chances of recovery. Recovery in this case means that the patient has no signs of malignant cells after completing the treatment. If cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, the chances of recovery are high. A cancer diagnosis is followed by a decision on how to treat the disease appropriately.
Q: WHAT IS THE DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURE FOR PROSTATE CANCER?
A: If prostate cancer is suspected, the personal doctor instructs the patient to see a urologist who then establishes a diagnosis. If cancer is discovered in time, the chances of full recovery are enhanced. The urologist proceeds with the cancer diagnostics with examinations including:
Q: WHAT ARE THE STAGES OF PROSTATE CANCER?
A: Most prostate cancers are slow growing. At first, prostate cancer is in the passive (latent) stage and does not cause any trouble. Over the years, it can develop into a clinical stage, which is most troublesome. At this stage, prostate cancer can be detected with examinations and treated. Before a decision is made about the type of treatment, the extent of metastasis has to be determined (staging system). Prostate cancer can advance to the membrane and spread to surrounding tissue or even metastasize through the lymphatic and blood vessels to the lymphatic gland and other organs. The metastasis of the disease is assessed with further diagnostic examinations, such as ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), skeleton scintigram and blood analysis. Finally, the results are classified according to the TNM system.
Q: ERECTILE FUNCTION AFTER PROSTATE REMOVAL
A: Thanks to state-of-the-art technology, Robotic Prostate Surgery enables surgeons to remove the prostate and at the same time preserve the nerves which play a vital role for the erectile function. This is one of the most important benefits of Robotic Surgery. By preserving the nerves important for the erectile function, the penile erectile function is maintained even after surgery.
Q: URINARY INCONTINENCE AFTER PROSTATE REMOVAL
A: Urinary incontinence or poor bladder control can last from a few days after prostate removal to many months or it can even become permanent. With Robotic Prostate Surgery, patients have better chances to return to normal bladder functioning and urine control quicker in comparison to open surgery or laparoscopic prostatectomy. The benefits of Robotic Surgery are:
Patients regain continence faster and more often by choosing Robotic Surgery over other procedures.
Q: WHAT ARE THE BENEFIRS OF USING ROBOTIC SURGERY AND THE DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM WHEN COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL METHODS OF SURGERY?
A: Some of the major benefits experienced by surgeons using the da Vinci Surgical System over traditional approaches have been greater surgical precision, increased range of motion, improved dexterity and enhanced 3D vision. Benefits experienced by patients may include a shorter hospital stay, less pain, less risk of infection, less blood loss, fewer transfusions, less scarring, faster recovery and a quicker return to normal daily activities.
Q: IN WHICH FIELDS CAN THE DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM BE USED?
A: The da Vinci Surgical System can be used in urology, gynecology, abdominal surgery, vascular surgery, thoracic surgery, cardio surgery as well as otolaryngology.
Q: WHERE IS THE DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM BEING USED NOW?
A: Currently, the da Vinci Surgical System is being used worldwide, in major centers in the United States, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, India, Japan, the Netherlands, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Australia, Turkey, Czech Republic and Greece and of course Slovenia.
Q: WILL THE DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM MAKE THE SURGEON UNNECESSARY?
A: Absolutely not. On the contrary, the da Vinci System is designed to help surgeons advance their technique by enhancing their ability to perform complex minimally invasive surgery. The System replicates the surgeon's movements in real time. It cannot be programmed, nor can it make decisions on its own to move the surgical instruments.