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Health See other Health Articles Title: Robotic prostate surgery vs traditional Despite the fact that I always make it plain that I do not recommend invasive procedures for prostate cancer, I still get two or three questions every day asking which procedures I recommend. My general point is that there is no evidence despite many studies over the last 20 years that any invasive conventional procedure for prostate cancer improves the life expectancy by any significant amount. A new study was published recently. Data came from two large hospital and patient surveys conducted in the United States. In 2006 to 2008, about 20,400 men in those studies had their prostates removed using robotic surgery and 9,400 had "open" robot-free procedures Men who get robot surgery for prostate cancer have fewer short-term complications than men whose procedure is done the old-fashioned way — but the newer treatment is pricier, according to a new analysis of close to 30,000 patients. However, there is no body of evidence yet to show the overall longer term effects of robotic surgery for prostate cancer. For example, even if some complications such as bleeding happen less frequently with robotic surgery, it's possible men who get that procedure may have more sexual or urinary problems further down the road. Even without rigorous comparison data, the da Vinci Surgical System, sold by Intuitive Surgical, has become especially popular for prostate and gynecological surgeries in recent years and is heavily advertised by hospitals that use it. The robots cost just under $1.5 million, not including the cost of long-term maintenance and extra parts. So you may be absolutely certain that hospitals who have the da Vinci surgical system will sell it very hard in order to recoup their investment. And many men will be tempted to go for it simply because it is new technology. Unfortunately that does not necessarily equate to better outcomes. Dr. Simon Kim of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and his colleagues found the average prostate surgery done using a robot was billed at about $10,400, including all hospital fees. That compared to an average cost of just under $8,900 for standard so-called radical prostatectomy. Men typically stayed in the hospital for one day after robotic surgery compared to two days after a standard procedure. And post-op complication rates were eight percent in the robotic group versus 11 percent in the standard surgery group, according to findings published in the journal European Urology. That of course is interesting, but is no justification compared to knowing what the longer term outcomes are. I believe that every man must make the decision himself as to whether to have an invasive procedure or not. For my part, I do not see the point in having a procedure that has not been demonstrated to lengthen life expectancy but has been demonstrated to significantly reduce the quality of life. My recommendations are to make significant changes to your diet and lifestyle including taking a bunch of supplements that can help. Although this will not generally cure your prostate cancer there is evidence that it will often slow the process down considerably. I understand the psychology that many men feel they have to do something and getting rid of the prostate seems to be the answer but the actual scientific evidence shows that doing so is futile. There is a more expensive non-invasive alternative that at least tells you whether you're prostate cancer is life threatening or not. Such information can buy you many years of peace of mind and quality-of-life. Unfortunately that procedure is not covered by medical insurance and is quite expensive but if that is something that could interest you, you can contact me and I will give you more information. I wish you good health. Ben Ong Please visit my online shop for more information about a whole bunch of great supplements that can help to heal disease and maintain good health. You will be able to read about unique antioxidants which in conjunction with a sugar block can heal diabetes, reduce cholesterol and triglycerides. They can reduce uric acid and gout. And they will bring down high blood pressure. A most important supplement is my Antartican krill oil for Omega three. As the Dr in the video points out 80% of Americans are significantly deficient in Omega three which is a very important anti-inflammatory protecting against many disease conditions including stroke and heart attack. Of course, My shop also has a range of supplements that are helpful for men with prostate problems. Many of these supplements are very useful co-factors that will enhance healing, especially if you are already taking total health for the prostate. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
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