prostato-, prostat- +
(Greek: one who stands before, in front of; refers primarily to the prostate gland [so named because it "stands before" the mouth of the bladder])
2. Surgical removal of the prostate gland and seminal vesicles.
Laparoscopic refers to abdominal examination with an endoscope or laparoscope which is designed to permit medical personnel to examine a patient's abdominal cavity.
Robotic prostatectomy is one of the newest treatment approaches available for early stage prostate cancer and it offers the appropriate candidate a minimally invasive treatment with less blood loss and a more rapid overall recovery.
A da Vinci Robot replicates the surgeon's hand movements real time in laparoscopic instruments. It cannot be programmed, nor does it make any independent decisions; in other words, it does only what the surgeon's hands indicate during the surgical process.
Although visually similar to standard laparascopic instruments, the robotic instruments have the additional advantage of being articulated or united by joints. This allows the instruments not only to open and close but to fully turn and twist, allowing more natural mimicry of the human hand and wrist.
These instruments are much smaller than the normal hand and many of the jaws of the tools are similar or shorter in length than a person's fingernail. This allows very small and precise incisions to carefully dissect any part of the prostate.
