While the risk for incontinence or impotence was more than twice as likely in patients who underwent minimally invasive surgery, both procedures were relatively similar at controlling cancer, according to the report.
Minimally invasive prostate cancer surgery is now typically done using remote controlled robots, which the study found allowed patients to come home from the hospital after an average of two days, one day earlier than with open incision patients. Patients who underwent minimally invasive surgery also had a lower rate of respiratory problems and short-term complications, according to the report.
Although the study did not distinguish between surgeries performed with or without a robot, researchers say results show how direct-to-consumer marketing can affect the popularity of a procedure, even without adequate research to demonstrate superiority of the procedure.
Manufacturers of the robots used in surgery say the study is misleading as it didn’t use patient satisfaction results, which they argue are the most reliable indicator of impotence or incontinence, according to the report.
Read the Globe’s report about the new minimally invasive prostate cancer surgery study.
