Professor Dong Hwan Lee’s team in Incheon St. Mary hospital operates robotic prostate cancer surgery

Starting a new era of robotic prostate

 cancer surgery in Incheon and Bucheon area

According to the rate of cancer, the data presented last year by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the number of new prostate cancer patients has increased in the last 10 years for more than four times from 1,800 in the year of 2001 to 7,847 in the year of 2010. Nowadays, prostate cancer is the 5th frequently occurring cancer among the male. For cancer incident rate, prostate cancer takes the 5th place with 3.9%, chasing right after Japan (4th) and the United States (1st).

However it is not easy to operate prostate cancer surgery since the prostate is located right under bladder. Because of its precise location, robot surgery is gathering big attention as the surgery puts micro camera and operating tools through a small hole. Investigation into practicing domestic robot surgery shows that among esophageal cancer, kidney cancer, stomach cancer, rectal cancer, and prostate cancer (average death rate 0.09%), the death rate of prostate cancer was the lowest (0.07%) and it was even lower than that of an abdominal operation.

Professor Dong Hwan Lee from urology department in the Catholic Medical University of Incheon St. Mary’s hospital, who succeeded in implementing prostate cancer surgery with robot for the first time in Incheon and Bucheon area, said “The abdominal operation was common, but the surgery was not easy because prostate cancer is hidden by big vessels in front of pelvis.” Also he mentioned, “The prostate cancer needs delicate operation since ejaculatory duct and urethra penetrate through the middle of prostate. This delicacy is possible with the aid of robot by enlarging the sight to a certain ratio and maintaining proper moving distance for operating tools.”

The era of robot surgery of prostate cancer has finally come to Incheon and Bucheon area.

The robotic surgery center in Catholic Medical University of Incheon St. Mary’s hospital introduced Da Vinci si Surgical System, the newest version of robot surgical system, in 2011 for the first time in Incheon and Bucheon area. The system is operated to thyroid cancer, uterine cancer, colorectal cancer and more, and has succeeded in heart surgery despite the complication of the surgery. Professor Lee’s success in robotic prostate cancer surgery greatly contributes to genuine robotic surgery era.

Professor Lee mentions, “The robotic surgery is mainly conducted to prostate cancer and thyroid cancer, and it is very effective to small sized organs. It minimizes the damage to other parts while removing the parts that cancer cell spread. This small operating part also results in faster recovery compared to abdominal operation.”

In addition, the number of robotic surgery was 450,000 worldwide last year, four times more than what it was four years ago. It is known that four out of five surgeries on prostate cancer were done with robot in United States.