According to a new study, robot-assisted radical prostatectomies
now outnumber other forms of prostate cancer surgery in the
United States. Nearly 61 percent of prostatectomies were
performed by robotic devices between 2008 and 2009. What's more,
robotic prostate surgery appears to have fewer complications and
shorter hospital stays than traditional open prostatectomies,
according to the lead researcher, Dr. Quoc-Dien Trinh, of
Vattikuti Urology Institute, Henry Ford Health System, in
Detroit. He reported his finding at the European Association of
Urology 27th Annual Congress, in Paris. The procedure has grown
exponentially in recent years - from 9 percent of
prostatectomies in 2003 to 61 percent, according to Medscape
Medical News. In robot-assisted surgery, a surgeon operates
mechanical arms to make smaller, more precise incisions. The
first robot-assisted prostate surgery was performed only in
2000. Learn more about robot-assisted surgery at About.com.