da Vinci® Prostatectomy - Latest Treatment Option for Prostate Cancer with the da Vinci Surgical System


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da Vinci Prostatectomy is chosen by more U.S. men than any other treatment for prostate cancer¹ and is being selected by more and more men worldwide. da Vinci Prostatectomy is a minimally invasive, robotic-assisted surgical procedure that removes the cancerous prostate gland and related structures.

For most patients, the three main concerns about prostate cancer are: Getting rid of the cancer while maintaining both urinary and sexual (erectile) function. da Vinci Prostatectomy offers patients many potential benefits over traditional open surgery in these three areas including:

Better Cancer Control

Studies show that, compared to open surgery, experienced da Vinci surgeons achieve better cancer control - lower positive margin rates. Positive margin rates are a measure of cancer cells left behind – lower is better.²

Faster Return of Erectile Function

Recent studies show patients who are potent prior to surgery experience a faster return of erectile function as compared to patients who have open surgery.^3,4

Faster Return of Urinary Continence

Recent studies show most patients have full return of urinary continence within 6 months as compared to patients who have open surgery.^3,4

Improved Results of Surgery Over Radiation & Other Treatments

da Vinci Prostatectomy is one of many treatment options for men facing prostate cancer. Besides surgery, other treatments include radiation (external beam, intensity modulated radiated, and brachytherapy), cryotherapy, hormone therapy, and watchful waiting/active surveillance.

Recent studies comparing surgery to radiation, including IMRT, have found that surgery to remove the cancerous prostate resulted in the lowest cancer death rate.^11,12 Another recent study of over 400,000 men with clinically localized prostate cancer showed that when compared to radiotherapy and observation, radical prostatectomy patients had the most favorable cancer-specific survival rates.¹³

Minimally Invasive Surgery

The da Vinci System enables surgeons to perform even the most complex and delicate procedures through tiny incisions with unmatched vision, precision, dexterity and control.

This website is designed to help patients make informed choices about their treatment and understand the da Vinci Prostatectomy procedure. You can use this site to:

Claim based on 2008 U.S. data. Data on file at Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
Coronato EE, Harmon JD, Ginsberg PC, Harkaway RC, Singh K, Braitman L, Sloane BB, Jaffe JS. A multi-institutional comparison of radical retropubic prostatectomy, radical perineal prostatectomy, and robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy for treatment of localized prostate cancer. J Robotic Surg (2009) 3:175-178.
Rocco B, Matei DV, Melegari S, Ospina JC, Mazzoleni F, Errico G, Mastropasqua M, Santoro L, Detti S, de Cobelli O. Robotic vs open prostatectomy in a laparoscopically naive centre: a matched-pair analysis. BJU Int. 2009 Oct;104(7):991-5. Epub 2009 May 5.
Ficarra V, Novara G, Fracalanza S, D'Elia C, Secco S, Iafrate M, Cavalleri S, Artibani W. A prospective, non-randomized trial comparing robot-assisted laparoscopic and retropubic radical prostatectomy in one European institution. BJU Int. 2009 Aug;104(4):534-9. Epub 2009 Mar 5.
Ho C, Tsakonas E, Tran K, Cimon K, Severn M, Mierzwinski-Urban M, Corcos J, Pautler S. Robot-Assisted Surgery Compared with Open Surgery and Laparoscopic Surgery: Clinical Effectiveness and Economic Analyses [Internet]. Ottawa: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health; 2011 (Technology report no. 137). ). [cited 2011-09-20].
Boris RS, Kaul SA, Sarle RC, Stricker HJ. Radical prostatectomy: a single surgeon comparison of retropubic, perineal, and robotic approaches. Can J Urol. 2007 Jun;14(3):3566-70.
Hohwu L, Akre O, Pedersen KV, Jonsson M, Nielsen CV, Gustafsson O. Open retropubic prostatectomy versus robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy: A comparison of length of sick leave. Scand. J. Urol. Nephrol. Apr 7 2009:1-6.
Menon M, Tewari A, Baize B, Guillonneau B, Vallancien G. Prospective comparison of radical retropubic prostatectomy and robot-assisted anatomic prostatectomy: the Vattikuti Urology Institute experience. Urology. 2002 Nov;60(5):864-8.
Carlsson S, Nilsson AE, Schumacher MC, Jonsson MN, Volz DS, Steineck G, Wiklund PN. Surgery-related complications in 1253 robot-assisted and 485 open retropubic radical prostatectomies at the Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden. Urology. 2010 May;75(5):1092-7.
Miller J, Smith A, Kouba E, Wallen E, Pruthi RS. Prospective evaluation of short-term impact and recovery of health related quality of life in men undergoing robotic assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy versus open radical prostatectomy. J Urol. 2007 Sep;178(3 Pt 1):854-8; discussion 859. Epub 2007 Jul 16.
Zelefsky MJ, Eastham JA, Cronin AM, Fuks Z, Zhang Z, Yamada Y, Vickers A, Scardino PT. Metastasis after radical prostatectomy or external beam radiotherapy for patients with clinically localized prostate cancer: a comparison of clinical cohorts adjusted for case mix. J Clin Oncol. 2010 Mar 20;28(9):1508-13. Epub 2010 Feb 16.
Cooperberg MR, Vickers AJ, Broering JM, Carroll PR; for the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor (CaPSURE) Investigators. Comparative risk-adjusted mortality outcomes after primary surgery, radiotherapy, or androgen-deprivation therapy for localized prostate cancer. Cancer. 2010 Aug 5.
Abdollah F, Sun M, Thuret R, Jeldres C, Tian Z, Briganti A, Shariat SF, Perrotte P, Rigatti P, Montorsi F, Karakiewicz PI. A competing-risks analysis of survival after alternative treatment modalities for prostate cancer patients: 1988-2006. Eur Urol. 2011 Jan;59(1):88-95. Epub 2010 Oct 14.

While clinical studies support the effectiveness of the da Vinci Surgical System when used in minimally invasive surgery, individual results may vary. There are no guarantees of outcome. All surgeries involve the risk of major complications. Before you decide on surgery, discuss treatment options with your doctor. Understanding the risks of each treatment can help you make the best decision for your individual situation. Surgery with the da Vinci Surgical System may not be appropriate for every individual; it may not be applicable to your condition. Always ask your doctor about all treatment options, as well as their risks and benefits. Only your doctor can determine whether da Vinci Surgery is appropriate for your situation. The clinical information and opinions, including any inaccuracies expressed in this material by patients or doctor about da Vinci Surgery are not necessarily those of Intuitive Surgical, Inc. and should not be considered as substitute for medical advice provided by your doctor. All persons depicted are models unless otherwise noted. © 2011 Intuitive Surgical. All rights reserved. Intuitive, Intuitive Surgical, da Vinci, da Vinci S, da Vinci Si, Single-Site, InSite, TilePro and EndoWrist are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intuitive Surgical. All other product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

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