Prostate Cancer: Weighing Options

The Wall Street Journal interviews Dr. Fagin about the latest technology options when treating prostate cancer.

The Wall Street Journal interviews Dr. Fagin about the latest technology options when treating prostate cancer. The article discusses several techniques featuring Dr. Fagin's comments about prostate surgery:

"I present the choice very simply: either you are damaging the prostate or removing it," says Randy Fagin, who performs robot-assisted surgeries in Austin, Texas. "If you damage it and leave it there, what if the cancer comes back? If you have surgery, it's gone."

Surgeries using the daVinci Robotic System now account for over 50% of prostatectomies. The surgeon sits at a console about six feet from the patient and, while watching on a video screen, manipulates miniature, flexible tools that perform the surgery through small incisions. It's minimally invasive, which reduces pain, recovery time and blood loss. Most patients go home the next day.

The complete article can be found here:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123906164489395123.html

There is also a supporting video discussing the daVinci Robotic surgery procedure: