Laparoscopic Prostatectomy

Laparoscopic prostatectomy

        Laparoscopic prostatectomy is surgery that consists in removing the prostate gland with the use of a laparoscope. This surgery is a more gentile one, than open prostatectomy, which does not imply a large incision. The patient experiences less pain, recovers faster and has a low risk of developing infections. In fact laparoscopic prostatectomy consists in inserting a laparoscope through a small incision at the belly button. Usually the surgeon makes other four incisions in the abdomen. This procedure takes a lot of time usually 4 hours but it can last up to 8 hours. After the surgery the patient stays in the hospital for 2 days and recovers in 4 weeks.

       This kind of surgery is not efficient when the cancer is in an advanced stage, when it has spread to the other organs. Also the patient should be middle aged there are not so many cases in which this surgery is performed on 70, 80 years old men, in addition the person in cause needs to have a good general condition and not to have heart problems in order to withstand such a long anesthesia. In this case of laparoscopic prostatectomy a general anesthesia is needed. Also, with some time before the surgery, a month or so the patient has to tell the doctor if he is under some kind of treatment. The patient should not take any medication as some pills can cause excessive hemorrhage.

       In case of laparoscopic prostatectomy the patient recovers faster than in the case of open surgery. The patient has to stay in the hospital for 2 days and the catheter stays in for maximum 7 day not like in open surgery for 3 weeks. In the process of healing the catheter plays a very important role it drains the bladder and also allows the bladder to heal to the urethra.

       Post-operative care is very important; the patients should take antibiotics for a period of 7 days in order to prevent infections. Also it is recommended that the patient takes laxatives and avoid food that can produce constipation. Concerning food the patients are restricted only from alcohol and spices. The patients should also drink a lot of fluids such as water, soup and teas. Some doctors recommend the patient to take vitamins in order for their body to recover faster as they help the cellular recovery.

       Although the patient recovers faster in case of this surgery, laparoscopic prostatectomy has its disadvantages. After the surgery the patient may suffer from urinary incontinence, from impotence, from infections and urethral obstruction. Also this kind of surgery is not widely available and it needs to be performed by a specially trained surgeon.