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RPCI members laud cutting-edge
technology
Robotic-assisted surgery benefits cancer patients
By DEBORAH A. MILES
Bladder cancer strikes more than 63,000 Americans each year and more than
234,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer.
To tackle this disease and improve the outcomes of people undergoing treatment
for prostate and bladder cancer, PEF Division 196 members at Roswell Park Cancer
Institute (RPCI) are involved in a state-of-the-art robotic-assisted surgery.
“The robotic-assisted surgery is remarkable and shows a lot of promise,” said
nurse MaryLou Cappellini. “This surgical procedure is very precise. That’s the
beauty of it.”
Cappellini described the robotic part of the surgery as a hand-controlled device
that is attached to a computer station and gives the surgeon the ability to
rotate the instruments 360 degrees. An optical lens offers a three-dimensional
view of the area.
RPCI was the first hospital in the Buffalo-Niagara region to offer this type of
surgery to patients with prostate cancer and one of a few in the U.S. to offer
this surgery to people who have bladder cancer.
“With the new technology, Roswell Park continues with its commitment to
providing the most advanced treatments for cancer patients,” Cappellini said.
Dr. James Mohler, chief of the urology department, Dr. Khurshid A. Guru,
director of robotic surgery, and Dr. Hyung Lae Kim launched the program at RPCI
about two years ago.
Faster recovery
Word of its success and the benefits of this procedure are spreading across the
Northeast.
“Patients come from everywhere. It’s been phenomenal. We’ve had patients from
Pennsylvania, Ohio, and upstate New York, many from word-of-mouth,” said nurse
Richard Powers.
“We are thrilled about the advances this surgery can provide because it means
our patients recover more quickly,” he said.
One of the benefits of the robotic-assisted surgery, according to two other PEF
members, Lisa Boris and Chris Pieri, is the new procedure is less invasive than
traditional surgery.
“The robotic instrument improves access to the surgical area through small
openings that eliminate the need for large incisions,” Pieri said.
That means patients have a shorter hospital stay, quicker recovery time and less
pain.
Old vs. new
The procedure takes about three and a half hours, longer than the traditional
surgery, but the patient’s stay in the hospital is generally shorter. Prostate
cancer patients usually go home the next day. Many men are able to return to
work within two weeks after surgery.
Cappellini said not everyone is a candidate for this surgery.
The Roswell Park surgical team performs about nine robotic-assisted procedures
each week and more than 250 patients have been treated using this sophisticated
new tool since 2005.
“We’re providing real quality care,” Cappellini said. “That’s what it’s all
about.”
For more information, visit the RPCI Web site at
www.roswellpark.org or call
1-877-275-7724.
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