Receiving a diagnosis of prostate cancer means a man will be faced with a wide variety of treatment options.  Which option is “best” boils down to the fact that no “one size fits all” when it comes to this disease.  When working with his doctor, a man should learn as much as possible about the many treatment options available in order to make the decision best for him.

When a man is faced with prostate cancer, one treatment method could be surgery. Even then, there are different types of surgery that with the guidance of his physician, he will have to decide which one is best for him. 

Before a man decides which surgical treatment method to use, he needs to ask the following questions:

·      How experienced is the surgeon who will be performing the procedure?  How many surgeries have they done and what is the success rate?

·      How much time will be spent in treatment or recovery?

·      What potential side effects or risks does each type have?  

·      How much time do you have to decide which surgery is best?

Getting a second medical opinion is also a consideration many men should use before making the final decision.  Talking to different doctors might give a man a better perspective on which direction he wants to go and make him feel more comfortable with what he chooses.

Here are prostate cancer treatment surgical options that may be recommended:

·      Open Prostatectomy

Out of all surgical options, this one is not the preferred treatment for prostate cancer.  First, open means that involves major abdominal surgery that can result in major blood loss with the possibility of needing a blood transfusion.  It may also mean a lengthy and uncomfortable recovery along with the risk of impotence and urinary incontinence. 

·      Laparoscopic Prostatectomy

This type of surgery is also known as radical prostatectomy.  This is a minimally invasive surgical treatment for prostate cancer.  It involves a few key holes incisions in order to remove the entire prostate.

The advantages of this type of surgery is a shorter hospital stay, less bleeding, early removal of the catheter, less need for pain medication after surgery, can return to normal activities within one to two weeks after surgery and has improved cosmetic results.

·      da Vinci Robotic surgery

This surgery also called robotic prostate surgery uses start-of-the-art surgical system enabling precise surgical procedures with reduced risks, minimal side-effects, and a quick recovery time for patients. 

The benefits of this procedure includes a shorter hospital stay, less pain and risk of infection, less blood loss and fewer transfusion, less scarring with a faster recovery, and a quicker return to normal activities. 

In conclusion

Men faced with a diagnosis of prostate cancer and with the possibility of needing surgery should always do their homework by asking many questions of their surgeon.  Once they get the answers they need, they can work together with their physician to come up with the best treatment plan for them that will result in the best outcome.