There's a new addition to the surgical team at Nash Health Care-one that will change the experience of prostate surgery by providing surgeons with an extra set of arms in the battle against prostate cancer.

The da Vinci surgical robot is powered by state-of-the-art technology that allows a surgeon's hand motions to be scaled into precise movements of micro-instruments within the operative site. The result is not only greater precision, but substantially less post-operative pain for the patient. The da Vinci system, which was featured in Newsweek magazine, is used extensively in the treatment of prostate cancer, the second most common form of cancer in American men.

Sixteen percent of American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their life. In some cases, treatment may require a prostatectomy--the removal of all or part of the prostate gland. A traditional radical prostatectomy requires a large, 8-10 inch incision. A prostatectomy requires intense surgical precision in order to spare nerves that control bladder and sexual functions-nerves that in many cases may be only slightly larger than a few hairs. Open surgery com¬monly results in substantial blood loss, a lengthy and uncom¬fortable recovery and the risk of impotence and incontinence.

The daVinci robot is equipped with tiny instruments controlled by a surgeon who sits at a computer console halfway across the room. The daVinci robot provides enhanced visibility and precision because the robot allows a tiny camera to be millimeters away from the affected area---essentially giving a surgeon a front-row, magnified view of a microscopic world similar to the fantastic stories of science-fiction novels.

Only there's nothing fictional about this science, and it's not worlds away. This hi-tech surgical robot of the future is available today, right here in Rocky Mount.

"It is wonderful and exciting to have this state-of-the-art technology available right now," said Dr. Gordon Mathes, a urologist with Rocky Mount Urology Associates. "Having the da Vinci robot provides benefits for surgeons, for Nash Health Care, but most importantly, for the patients who are fighting prostate cancer."

The da Vinci Surgical System has been successfully used in thousands of prostate cancer procedures worldwide. The System cannot be programmed nor can it make decisions on its own. The da Vinci System cannot complete surgical maneuvers without direct input from your surgeon.

Recent studies suggest that prostatecomies performed with aid of the da Vinci robot offer improved cancer control and a lower incidence of impotence and urinary incontinence. Other benefits to patients include:

• Less post-operative pain
• Less risk of infection
• Less anesthesia
• Less blood loss
• Shorter hospital stay
• Faster and more complete recovery
• Quicker return to normal daily activities

For more information about the da Vinci surgical robot and whether or not you may be a candidate for a da Vinci prostatectomy, please speak with your urologist or call Rocky Mount Urology at 443-3136.