Robotic Radical Cystectomy
Bladder cancer
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It is the eighth-most frequent tumor worldwide.
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Unfortunately, Spain has one of the highest incidence rates in the world is observed with 33 new cases per year per 100,000 inhabitants.
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The main risk factor for tobacco use.
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The presence of blood in the urine (hematuria) is usually the first symptom.
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In the early stages, the treatment consists of an endoscopic surgery called Trans Urethral Resection (TUR).
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When the tumor invades the bladder muscle, it is necessary to remove the bladder completely and reconstruct the urinary tract by different techniques.
Robotic Radical Cytectomy
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Robotic radical cystectomy is the most advanced surgery for the treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer and is the technique of choice in the most prestigious major surgical centers worldwide.
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It consists of removing the bladder (and the prostate in the case of men). A lymphadenectomy is also performed, which involves removing lymph nodes.
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Once the bladder has been removed, it is necessary to perform a reconstruction of the urinary tract. According to each case, this reconstruction can be through the interposition of a bowel loop that goes into the skin (ileal duct) or through the preparation of a Neo-bladder, in which case urinary continence is preserved and it will not be necessary for the patient carry urine bags on the skin.
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Radical cystectomy is a real surgical challenge and thanks to the da Vinci robot, surgeons can perform this complex intervention with greater ease and safety.
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Thanks to robotic surgery, more interventions can be performed without the need for open surgery, since the entire operation is performed through minimal skin incisions.
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Usually, hospital admission lasts 10-14 days and intensive care is required for the first 24-48 hours.
Advantages
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Maximum precision to remove the tumor tissue
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More patients can opt for a urinary reconstruction using Neo-bladder (without the need to carry a urinary bag on the skin) and preserving urinary continence.
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Lower complication rate
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Less pain and less pain reliever requirement
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Less bleeding and lower transfusion rate
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Shorter hospital stay
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Early return to the usual routine activities.
Robotic surgery helps the surgeon to remove the tumor tissue accurately and facilitates the reconstruction of the urinary tract so that more patients can opt for a neo-bladder that preserves urinary continence, avoiding urinary bags
Meet your surgeon
Dr. Carles Xavier Raventós Busquets
Dr. Raventós is a renowned urologist with a long career path in minimally invasive surgery, being a pioneer in Catalonia and Spain in several techniques for surgical treatment of prostate and bladder cancer by robotic surgery.
Doctor of Medicine and Surgery from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB).
He has worked as a clinical chief at the Platon Hospital until the beginning of 2004 and is currently head of the bladder cancer unit of the Vall d’Hebron Hospital in Barcelona where he is also an associate professor at the UAB School of Medicine.