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daVinci Robotic Surgeries

DaVinci Prostatectomy

BAPTIST HEALTH Brings New Minimally Invasive Treatment for Prostate Cancer to Arkansas...

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR (June 20, 2005) - BAPTIST HEALTH Medical Center-North Little Rock performed the state’s first minimally invasive treatment for patients with prostate cancer in a state-of-the-art robotic assisted prostatectomy procedure called the da Vinci Prostatectomy. The state’s first daVinci Prostatectomy was performed on James Jolly, 56, of Conway in a 4-hour procedure by Ron Kuhn, M.D., a urologist with BAPTIST HEALTH.

This robotic assisted prostatectomy procedure is performed using a robotic surgical platform designed to enable complex, minimally invasive surgery.

"I’m excited that BAPTIST HEALTH is making this technology available to Arkansans," said Dr. Kuhn. "Robotic-assisted prostate-cancer surgery can provide a less invasive alternative to traditional surgery and can offer better results in cancer control, continence and potency and is driving new standards in patient care. I’ve had patients here in Arkansas that have delayed their surgery waiting to have this new minimally invasive procedure."

Prostate cancer is the leading type of cancer in men, the second leading cause of cancer-related death in U.S. males and the sixth leading cause of death in U.S. men overall. Approximately 17% of U.S. men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer sometime in their lives. The American Cancer Society estimates there are approximately 230,000 new cases of prostate cancer diagnosed in the United States annually.

One of the most common treatments for prostate cancer involves the surgical removal of the prostate gland, known as a radical prostatectomy. Traditional radical prostatectomy requires an 8 to 10 inch incision. While highly effective, this so-called "open" procedure can result in substantial blood loss and the need for blood transfusions; it also involves substantial risk for both sexual impotence and urinary incontinence, and it may require a lengthy and uncomfortable recovery.

With the da Vinci prostatectomy, recovery time and risk of complications can be greatly reduced.The daVinci Prostatectomy is a minimally invasive treatment that uses a state-of-the-art surgical robotic system to help surgeons see vital anatomical structures more clearly and perform procedures more precisely.

For most patients, da Vinci Prostatectomy recovery is much shorter and offers substantially less pain than traditional prostate surgery. Other advantages may include reduced need for blood transfusions, less scarring and less risk of infection. Moreover, recent studies suggest that da Vinci Prostatectomy offers improved cancer control and a lower incidence of impotence and urinary incontinence as well as a quicker recovery and shorter hospital stay.

"This new technology can offer patients a better cancer operation with improved clinical outcomes," said Dr. Kuhn.

The da Vinci Surgical System consists of an ergonomically designed surgeon’s console, which is linked to patient-side surgical equipment featuring four robotic arms that position and maneuver the instruments and camera. The system seamlessly translates the surgeon’s hand movements into precise movements of the instruments.

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