The more things change, the more they stay the same, as the proverb goes. A study appearing in an upcoming edition of The Journal of Oncology appears to prove just that. The study compares the benefits of laparoscopic surgery versus traditional open surgery in the treatment of prostate cancer. With traditional surgery, surgeons remove the prostate gland via an incision below the belly button. Laparoscopic surgery, which is a newer type of surgery, involves smaller incisions but also utilizes a camera and other surgical tools. The study shows that either technique works equally well in the treatment of prostate cancer and is merely a choice in preference for the patient.
Many prostate cancer patients dread surgery because of the recovery period and potential side effects such as impotence and incontinence. However, the study, which compared 102 traditional prostatectomy patients with 104 laparoscopic patients, showed very little differences in their outcomes. The risk of complication was only slightly higher with laparoscopic patients, with just a low rate of swelling and blood in the urine.