| Members of Southeast Missouri Hospital's da Vinci surgical team (in blue surgical scrubs) are shown with (from left) Southeast President & CEO James Wente, Southeast Director of Perioperative Services Jan Rigdon, MSN, RN, and Urologic Surgeon Gregg Hallman, MD, during a news conference February 20, 2006 to announce the introduction of robotic-assisted surgery at Southeast. Some of the da Vinci robotic surgery equipment is shown at right. |
Southeast Missouri Hospital has an exciting new surgical tool that will benefit many men with prostate cancer who undergo a radical prostatectomy. Southeast President and CEO James Wente announced at a news conference February 20, 2006 that Southeast has become the third hospital in Missouri -- and the first outside the St. Louis and Kansas City areas -- to offer robotic-assisted surgery using the da Vinci® Surgical System. There are fewer than 400 da Vinci systems nationwide, Wente added.
Using da Vinci, board certified urologic surgeons from Cape Girardeau Urology Associates can surgically remove the prostate gland with a magnified, three-dimensional view of the prostate that is more detailed than is possible with the human eye alone.
Gregg S. Hallman, MD, primary da Vinci surgeon, and J. Russell Felker, MD, assisting surgeon, are excited about the advantages the da Vinci system offers men.
"Patients these days are very savvy as far as their health is concerned," says Dr. Hallman. "When it comes to prostate surgery, men are looking at it not only from a recuperation standpoint, but also from the standpoint of choosing the surgical method that's most likely to enhance their ability to be disease free."
Men who are candidates for surgery using the da Vinci system are those whose cancer is confined to the prostate, Dr. Hallman said. The da Vinci may not be appropriate for patients with prior extensive abdominal surgeries.
"We're very pleased to have the program up and running at Southeast," Dr. Hallman added. "It will be a tremendous benefit to patients in our region. We can now offer men every treatment option available for prostate cancer." |
Patient Benefits...
For most patients, the da Vinci prostatectomy offers numerous potential befits over open prostatectomy. These include:
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five or six pinpoint incisions compared to the large, eight to 10-inch incision required for open surgery
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a shorter hospital stay
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less blood loss and pain
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fewer complications
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a faster return to normal activities
And with this new technology, prostate surgeons are better able to avoid muscles and nerves that control sexual function and urination, potentially lowering a man's post-surgical risk of impotence and incontinence.
Southeast Director of Perioperative Services Jan Rigdon, MSN, RN, said much training has gone into preparing the Hospital's core robotic-assisted surgery team for this newest treatment option. "These individuals have completed many hours of training including a special certification course," she noted.
Though currently in use at Southeast only for prostate gland removal, the da Vinci® Surgical System can also be used for other procedures, such as gynecologic, thoracoscopic, and thoracoscopically-assisted cardiotomy procedures.
Prostate Cancer Facts & Figures...
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There are MORE CASES of prostate cancer than any other major cancer
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Every THREE MINUTES, an American man finds out he has prostate cancer.
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Nearly 30,000 men will die from prostate cancer this year.
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When DETECTED EARLY, the five-year survival rate for prostate cancer is nearly 100%.
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African-American men are TWICE as likely to get prostate cancer and twice as likely to die from it.
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The best prevention against advanced prostate cancer is EARLY DETECTION, including a digital rectal exam and simple blood test (PSA).
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