Hospital performs complex robotic prostatectomy

HCG Cancer Hospital Kolkata recently performed a robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) for a 68-year-old gentleman, who had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. He had earlier undergone a TURP with laser BNI at another hospital to relieve urinary blockage, during which the cancer was detected. He turned to the specialists at HCG Cancer Hospital Kolkata, where Dr Gaurav Aggarwal, HOD & senior consultant, uro-oncology & robotics, led the surgery.

TURP, or transurethral resection of the prostate, is a procedure where prostate tissue is removed through the urinary passage to relieve urinary blockage. Laser BNI stands for ‘bladder neck incision using laser’, a procedure done alongside TURP to carefully widen the bladder neck, helping urine flow more easily and relieving urinary blockage.

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After thorough evaluation and counselling, options of radiotherapy and a RARP were discussed. A shared decision making between his family and the medical team was done and he opted for RARP.

RARP is a minimally invasive surgery to remove the prostate gland and surrounding tissues using robotic arms controlled by a surgeon. Remarkably, Mr Ramesh was walking the very next day and was discharged on the third day after surgery, with minimal discomfort. The patient is now on regular follow-up.