Prostate Cancer

Surgery

Surgery is a highly effective single treatment method for cancer that is confined to the prostate gland. Single treatment method means no need is anticipated for radiation, chemotherapy or other post-surgical treatment, although physicians will assess whether follow-up treatments are necessary based on the results of each patient's surgery.

Mayo Clinic surgeons perform over 1,500 prostatectomies annually, more than any other medical center in the world. Mayo surgeons draw on the clinic's extensive experience, using effective techniques that can spare both the muscle that controls urination and the nerve bundles responsible for sexual function.

In addition to the more traditional open procedures, Mayo Clinic surgeons have special expertise in minimally invasive surgery. Minimally invasive surgery can result in shorter hospital stays, less discomfort and bleeding and a faster recovery.

At Mayo Clinic, a larger number of open retropubic prostatectomies and robotic prostatectomies are performed than any other prostate cancer treatment technique. The doctor, however, will help you determine the most appropriate treatment.

Robotic prostatectomy

Robotic prostatectomy, also called robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALRP), allows the surgeon to remove the prostate and surrounding lymph nodes via five to six tiny abdominal incisions (portals), through which surgical instruments are placed and then precisely manipulated by a precision robotic system. Robotic prostatectomy can cause less tissue trauma, bleeding and scarring than traditional surgery, and often results in faster recovery times. Ongoing research indicates that — one year after surgery — the traditional open retropubic approach and robotic prostatectomy result in similar outcomes for survival, urinary continence and sexual function.

Radical retropubic prostatectomy

In radical retropubic prostatectomy — often referred to simply as prostatectomy — the prostate is removed through an incision in the lower abdomen. Surgeons also remove lymph nodes through the same incision and test the nodes to determine if the cancer has spread. Additionally, the open retropubic procedure, like the robotic procedure, offers the surgeon excellent access to the prostate, allowing for preservation of the nerve bundles that control sexual function as well as the muscle that controls continence.