Laparoscopic Surgery as Treatment of Prostate Cancer

Pedro Banda, M.D., Urologic Surgeon, Columbia St. Mary's

Posted: Sept. 1, 2004

Pedro Banda, M.D., Urologic Surgeon and Member of Milwaukee Institute of Minimally Invasive Surgery at Columbia St. Mary's "The most effective medical treatment for prostate cancer is surgery."

As a man ages, his risks of developing prostate cancer increases. The cancer generally grows slowly, and most men are never aware that they have prostate cancer until other health areas become affected

Laparoscopic Surgery
“The most effective treatment for prostate cancer is surgery,” said Dr. Pedro Banda, urologic surgeon at Columbia St. Mary’s, and one of the premier laparoscopic surgeons in the Midwest.. “Men between ages 40 and 70 who are in otherwise good health are good candidates for surgery.” Of the three types of surgery currently being used - laparascopy, traditional open surgery, and robotic surgery - laparascopy may offer some advantages over the other two forms of surgery.

Laparoscopy is a minimally invasive surgery which consists of making four small incisions, one-half to one centimeter in length, to complete the process. Traditional open surgery requires one cut about eight centimeters long, and robotic surgery uses six, one-centimeter long incisions.

Laparoscopy also features a decreased amount of blood loss, reduced length of hospital time, faster recovery time, less pain, and allows a return to normal activity in half the time that conventional surgery does. It’s also more cost effective than robotic surgery, which requires the use of expensive equipment, not to mention the time and money spent in upkeep. Fewer people are needed to perform laparoscopic surgery than robotic, too, which works its way into cost figures as well.

“The cancer cure rate of laparoscopy is equal to the traditional surgical method, and a man’s quality of life is excellent both in terms of continence and potency,” said Dr. Banda. “Patients tend to recoup their erectile ability and continence faster.”

Other forms of treatment for prostate cancer do exist, but surgery is considered to be the best route to take. And, according to Dr. Banda, laparoscopy is the better surgical option.

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