NCI - Open prostatectomy remains “gold standard” over Robotic surgery for prostate cancer
November 2nd, 2009
The National Cancer Institutes (NCI) bulletin reports on a recent article in JAMA reviewing results of robotic prostatectomy compared to open surgery. The only advantages for robotics in this study was shorter hospital stay (2 days vs 3 days) and fewer blood transfusion. Robotic surgery was found to have more than twice the risk of genitourinary complications including a 30% increased risk of incontinence and a 40% increased risk of erectile dysfunction. The NCI concluded that open surgery should remain the “gold standard” for men who opt for surgery to treat localized prostate surgery. The rapid increase in the robotic approach is because of aggressive marketing from hospitals, doctors and the company who makes the device.