There are few symptoms associated with prostate cancer and a diagnosis means navigating through a maze of confusing treatment and therapy options. These may include radiation therapy (IMRT and brachytherapy), cryosurgery, radical prostatectomy (robotic and open) or careful monitoring of the cancer without immediate treatment (active surveillance). Most men with a prostate cancer diagnosis share a number of serious concerns. The main concern should be treating, or removing, the cancerous prostate to stop the carcinoma from spreading. Another worry is how well bowel, urinary, and sexual functions will recover after treatment; and concerns about dealing with the rigors of the prostate cancer treatment itself. There is also the very important question of where to have the selected prostate cancer treatment and by whom.
Robotics have ushered in a new era of minimally invasive surgery that has challenged both open and pure laparoscopic surgery. Robotic surgery involves tele-manipulation devices that allow the performance of complex surgical tasks with dexterity and minimal fatigue due to their ergonomic design, expanded degree of movements, tremor filtering, and 3-D stereoscopic visualization. The view of the operative field provided by this system coupled with the unrestricted ability to execute almost any surgical task, has made robotic surgery the most popular approach for radical prostatectomy in the United States.
Dr. Ash Tewari is one of the pioneers of da Vinci robotic prostatectomy and world's leading experts in the field of prostate cancer. To date, he has performed over 3500 robotic prostate cancer surgeries; making him one of the most experienced robotic surgeons in the world. Dr. Tewari serves as the director of Prostate Cancer Institute at the Brady Foundation Department of Urology at Weill Cornell Medical College and the LeFrak Center for Robotic Surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. He has been named in New York's Best Doctors list for 2010. Operating at world class facilities with the assistance of a highly experienced support team, Dr. Tewari has consistently delivered excellent outcomes in his patients who choose robotic prostatectomy.
Dr. Ash Tewari is an innovator in the fields of robotic surgery and prostate cancer research. He was a pioneer in the performance of a completely athermal technique, (no use of cautery or heat energy), during robotic prostatectomy in order to minimize the damage to the nerves responsible for erectile function. He developed the total reconstruction technique, where the support structures of the urinary mechanism are restored following prostate removal, for faster continence recovery. He In addition, he was the first to publish a catheter-less robotic prostatectomy where a urethral catheter is avoided in order to minimize pain and discomfort after surgery. He was the first to identify the nerves responsible for erectile function as a neural hammock. This increased understanding of the prostate anatomy aids in nerve-sparing techniques for robotic prostatectomy. As an active researcher, he is one of only a few robotic surgeons to be awarded a NIH R01 grant. This funding is for the investigation of real-time tissue identification during prostate cancer surgery.
Our treatment, Advanced Robotic Techniques (ART) of Prostatectomy, offers an excellent potential for a cure for most prostate cancer patients. In select cases, this nerve-sparing prostate cancer surgery technique produces outstanding results for cancer control, urinary and sexual function recovery while minimizing side effects. With this technique, patients and their families have been able to benefit from the quicker convalescence, short hospital stays, low analgesic requirements, a small rate of blood transfusions, and improved cosmesis.
The majority of Dr. Tewari’s da Vinci prostatectomy patients are discharged and return home within 24 hours of their robotic surgery. In most cases of localized prostate cancer, a da Vinci robotic prostatectomy is viable treatment option.
Please navigate through our website to find out more about prostate cancer, Dr. Ash Tewari and robotic prostatectomy. Contact us if you would like to make an appointment or if you have any questions.
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