Robotic-assisted prostate cancer surgery, a quick recovery option

Prostate cancer is experienced by one in 120 men in Malaysia, especially those above the age of 50.

According to Consultant Urologist, Endourologist and Robotic Surgeon at Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway City Dr Christopher Lee Kheng Siang, the risk of prostate cancer increases with age, and unfortunately 60 per cent of patients in the country are still diagnosed at late stages, reflecting the importance of early detection.

"Prostate cancer is largely asymptomatic, or the symptoms may be confused with those of benign prostate enlargement.

"However, it can be detected via a tumour marker called prostate-specific antigen (PSA)," he told Bernama here, today, adding that the condition can be detected early if men include PSA test in their regular medical check-ups.

Dr Lee said prostate cancer can be treated early through surgery, radiotherapy, or focal therapy, although the latter is not yet widely available in Malaysia, adding that advancements in technology are helping patients recover better and faster.

"Different options are available for different stages of the disease depending on the patient's condition. In terms of surgery, it is divided into open surgery, involving a large incision on the abdomen, or laparoscopic surgery (keyhole surgery) which involves multiple small incisions. In addition, robotic-assisted surgery is a more advanced form of laparoscopic surgery.

"Robotic-assisted surgery utilises robotic arms that are fully controlled by the surgeon to achieve more precise and finer surgical movements. It is especially important for the reconstruction of the urethra to the bladder after the prostate removal," Dr Lee said, adding that this surgical method is less painful and involves less blood loss compared to conventional surgeries.

He stated that robotic-assisted surgery shortens a patient's average hospital stay from a maximum of five days to three days, and is suitable for any prostate cancer patient, depending on their clinical stage.

Addressing a common misconception, Dr Lee noted that many patients assume that robotic-assisted surgery is performed solely by artificial intelligence, which often causes fear.

However, Dr Lee reassured patients that the robot is a precision tool controlled by the surgeon, with human expertise guiding every step of the procedure.

"There are technological advancements in the robotic instruments with higher versatility, allowing greater flexibility in movement, improvement in camera resolution, offering high definition and three-dimensional (3D) view of the surgical anatomy during surgery.

"There is also intelligent software which aids in the positioning of the robotic console and the robotic arm which allows faster preparation for surgery. This software also allows positioning of the robot tailored to the type of surgery and patient position," he said, adding that some other recent advancements involve 5G connectivity to the device enabling telesurgery.

Dr Lee said the telesurgery has been successfully tested and implemented in other developed countries, however, it has yet to be tested here in Malaysia.

He also pointed out that there is ongoing research towards making the device produce haptic feedback that allows surgeons to feel the anatomy of the patient.

Meanwhile, in embracing the journey towards diagnosis, treatment and recovery, Dr Lee recommends that patients talk to their doctor about treatments available for their condition, seek insights from prostate cancer support groups and read official medical websites to gain a clearer understanding of the surgical methods.

Sunway Medical Centre in Sunway City, established in 1999, is a multi-award winning largest private quaternary hospital in Malaysia with 28 Centres of Excellence and a diverse multidisciplinary team, including Urology Centre, Robotic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery Centre, and Cancer Centre, to provide personalised treatment with a holistic care approach.

It is the first hospital in the country to obtain three major hospital-wide accreditations including the prestigious Joint Commission International (JCI) Accreditation.

SMC has performed over 3,000 robotic surgeries with a team of 27 highly skilled, robotic-trained surgeons from various disciplines including urology, gynaecology, colorectal, hepatobiliary, bariatric and orthopaedic.

-- BERNAMA