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R
obotics systems have been the target of criticism since they
first found their way into ORs. "They're too expensive," they
said. "They extend the duration of the surgery," they said.
Don't tell that to Christopher R. Mitchell, MD, the director of robotic
surgery at Christiana Care in Newark, Del.
"Historically, the pelvis is a hard location to operate in, and there's
been a reluctance to do prostate surgery because of the side effects;
erectile problems and urinary problems have been fairly common," he
says. "Those issues have been improved upon. Robotics systems have
opened the frontier for the increased use of surgery in treating
prostate cancer, and they're helping patients recover faster and get
back into the routine."
He's quick to point out that robotic prostatectomy is not yet a 100%
outpatient procedure. In fact, he says, only "healthy, motivated
patients" go home the same day. Most people stay in the hospital for
one night of observation.
"There's still a lot of moving parts — removing the prostate, recon-
necting the bladder and the urethra," he says. "Also, patients will have a
ROBOTICPROSTATECTOMY
• PAYING DIVIDENDS Dr. Mitchell says investing in a robotics system makes sense only if it brings new patients into
the surgical facility or decreases patients' length of stay.
