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Robot-Assisted Prostate
Surgery Benefits Patients

When Lake Helen resident Charlie Gunter was diagnosed with prostate cancer, he considered many treatment options. Then he decided on a minimally invasive robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

“I had never heard of the procedure before, but I thought it sounded fascinating,” said Gunter, 56. He underwent a robot-assisted radical prostatectomy using the da Vinci® S Surgical System at Halifax Health Medical Center. His procedure was the first of its kind performed in the area.

During the Procedure

During the procedure, the surgeon sits at a console a few feet away from the patient and operates the da Vinci robot. The surgeon controls the robot’s arms as they insert surgical tools into the patient via small laparoscopic ports. The robot’s video monitoring system provides a threedimensional view and magnification 10 times greater than the naked eye.

“The magnification and steadiness of the camera are an excellent improvement over a surgeon’s traditional magnification lens,” said Richard Landrigan, MD, Medical Director, Halifax Health — Center for Urology.

Patient Benefits

For patients, the da Vinci robot offers several other advantages, including:

• Less pain
• Less chance of infection
• Less blood loss
• Less scarring
• Shorter hospital stay
• Faster recovery

“The da Vinci gives our community access to the same level of care as any other major medical center in the country,” Dr. Landrigan said.