Robotic prostate cancer surgery leaving men 'impotent'

Melbourne, Oct 24 : Scientists have raised doubts against the efficacy of robotic prostate cancer surgery, claiming that instead of being a saviour, the procedure is leaving men with more incontinence and impotence than traditional techniques. The study has sparked renewed debate over robotically assisted surgery, and over how much surgeons should be obliged to tell patients about their success rates. However, the pioneers of robotic surgery in Australia have defended the procedure, saying the research was flawed. In the paper, the researchers compared the long-term results of ''''minimally invasive'''' prostate surgery, which is usually performed using robots, with old-fashioned ''''open'''' surgery. It found that with robotic assistance, men left hospital a day earlier and they were 10 times less likely to need a blood... [read full story]                    

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