MakatiMed highlights the da Vinci Xi Surgical System’s pivotal role in achieving ‘trifecta’ success vs Prostate Cancer
What do Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, and Sir Ian McKellen have in common? Aside from being iconic actors, these men have had to overcome Prostate Cancer. However, Prostate Cancer isn’t limited to celebrities. According to the Department of Health, it is the third most common type of cancer among Filipino men, affecting approximately 19.3% per 100,000 individuals.
The good news is that Prostate Cancer is certainly beatable, especially when caught in the early stages. In fact, top hospital in the Philippines Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed) simplifies the fight against Prostate Cancer with its new da Vinci Xi Surgical System. It is a robotic platform that enhances surgeons’ capabilities, consisting of three components: the surgeon console for controlling wristed instruments with a 3DHD view, a patient-side cart for instrument positioning, and a vision cart for system communication and team viewing.
Jaime Songco, MD, a Urology Specialist at Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed) who is also a member of the Philippine Robotic Urologic Society, Inc., attests to the precision and efficacy of the da Vinci Xi Surgical System particularly when dealing with Prostate Cancer and achieving the “trifecta” of success: cancer control, continence, and potency. Dr. Songco
Surgeries assisted by the latest robotic surgical system enhance cancer control by enabling meticulous removal of the prostate gland and surrounding tissues in an operation called radical prostatectomy. A thorough radical prostatectomy reduces the risk of leaving behind cancerous cells, thereby lowering the chances of recurrence.
“The surgeon’s job becomes easier thanks to the da Vinci Xi Surgical System because we get a 3D and magnified vision of the organ. Its instruments have what we call the EndoWrist technique that mimics our hand movements during surgery,” Dr. Songco explains, referring to the equipment’s forceps, needle drivers, scissors, and others that offer precise control. “It’s even more ergonomic on the surgeons themselves because they can just sit down at the robot’s console during the operation.”
Prostatectomies are performed by making incisions in the lower abdomen. The da Vinci Xi Surgical System makes this easier by allowing surgeons to make smaller cuts and navigate in tighter spaces with these instruments. The delicate maneuvers made possible by robots like the da Vinci Xi Surgical System help preserve the delicate urinary sphincter muscle, which is crucial for urinary continence.
According to Dr. Songco, the added precision from using robots significantly increases the likelihood of preserving sexual function post-surgery, as prostatectomies can also affect sexual function, sometimes resulting in temporary or permanent erectile dysfunction.
“If the cancer is in the early stage, we can use the da Vinci system to do 3D nerve-sparing,” the doctor states. Nerve-sparing is when doctors avoid cutting nerves near your prostate to better your chances of keeping normal erections and urinary function when you recover.
Dr. Songco adds treatments have also evolved to help restore potency. “For additional help, we even give patients medicine including penile rehabilitation to help get them back to normal.”
Apart from its precision and efficacy, this robotic technology offers more benefits for the patients. “Those who will undergo radical prostatectomy using the da Vinci will no longer need blood transfusion. We can discharge them as early as two days after the surgery,” Dr. Songco adds, underlining how robot-assisted surgeries enable quicker recovery and help patients get back to their normal lives much faster.
“With the da Vinci system you won’t have to spend as much time in the hospital. You can even get back to work as long as it’s nothing physically strenuous. There’s less scarring too.”
Who can be treated with the help of the da Vinci Surgical System? “Ideally, patients will just be in the 1st or 2nd stages of cancer. Stage 3 cancer, which is potentially locally invasive, can still be treated but patients should know they might need additional treatment like radiation therapy or hormonal treatments after,” the doctor notes.
Dr. Songco emphasizes that robot-assisted surgeries like those made possible with the da Vinci Surgical System are incredibly safe. “We have over 7 million procedures done worldwide using this machine. So far, the analyses have shown a significant safety net and better results,” he says.
You don’t have to be Derek Zoolander, Vito Corleone, or Magneto to beat Prostate Cancer. But it sure does help to know surgeons can use advanced robots like the da Vinci Xi Surgical System to ensure precision and efficacy in the operating room.
Article based on the Lunas Extension with Ellanie Bensal on DRZRH News guesting of Jaime Songco, MD last April 18, 2024.
For the complete list of Makati Medical Center’s Urologists, click here. You may also reach us via MakatiMed On-Call at (+632) 8888 8999 or at [email protected].
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