Inside Cancer

Technology is amazing and it's life changing in more ways than can be counted. For one, there is the internet that gives you access to information all over the world and has opened up your avenue for research into the other areas of technology available. For some, especially those with life threatening diseases, it is a blessing and a curse. Someone once said ignorance is bliss. Is it? Is it bliss to not know all of the options for someone with prostate cancer? Without technology would you know that one technological option for prostate cancer is a robotic prostatectomy?

You may be wondering why a robot is better than a surgeon. The answer is simple, it's not by itself. The surgeon uses the robot as an assistant. The da Vinci robot doesn't act alone in the surgery, it dramatically magnifies the view of the surgical area and offers incredibly precise movements which decreases the likelihood of damaging delicate nerves and tissues of the surrounding areas. With a robot the doctor can make smaller incisions, reducing the blood loss, the pain, the possibility of infection and scarring. This leads to less recovery time and a better quality of life. If you are in the Illinois area, you can find this marvelous technology at one of the top 10 hospitals in llinois at Riverside. There the urologists are training surgeons about the da Vinci prostatectomy and the tools involved. It's a wonderful program and a fantastic use of technology.

This program is leading the way for less intrusive and greater recovery time for this type of surgery. If you are not familiar with prostate cancer, it is a disease in which malignant cells form in the prostate. This gland is in the male's reproductive system and surrounds the urethra. It's about the size of a walnut and produces the fluid that makes up part of the semen. With approximately sixteen percent of the male populations probability of getting diagnosed with prostate cancer, greater public awareness and early detection are leading the way to mortality rates declining.

With these new prostate cancer treatments the quality of life is also improving for those who survive. Along with a shorter recovery time the patient gets back to normal activities. With the ability to perform more precise surgical procedures with the da Vinci robot the surgeon is able to make much more precise surgical procedures within the operative site. The system cannot be programmed and cannot make decisions. It is truly just an extension of the surgeon, a much more precise extension at that. The system scales, filters and translates the surgeon's movements into precise movements of a micro-instrument, making the surgery less risky and more exact.

If you're are planning to have a prostatectomy in any hospitals in Chicago area be sure to have them check out what is being offered at Riverside Health Care. It is well worth the time to research your options; it's so easy with technology today.