TURIN. It is one of the most widespread tumors, also triggered by environmental factors: the fifth most frequent in Italy among solid tumors, over 300 thousand diagnoses per year, 12%-15% are infiltrative and are treated with the removal of the entire tumor bladder. We are talking about bladder cancer, the subject – at the Maria Pia Hospital in Turin – of an unprecedented robotic surgery. For the first time in the world, a robotic cystectomy was performed on a sixty-year-old patient with a single kidney using the Hugo RAS (robotic-assisted surgery) robotic system, a revolutionary achievement in the field of oncology surgery. The operation was performed by Professor Giovanni Muto, director of the Department of Urology of the Maria Pia, a GVM Care & Research High Specialty Hospital accredited with the health service, by his team, composed of Doctor Alberto Ragusa and his collaborators, the doctors Paolo Caccia and Alessandro Rocca.
The challenge
«Infiltrating bladder cancer has always represented an imposing challenge for the surgeon and the patient – comments Muto -. If in the past traditional surgery involved a significant midline abdominal incision, both to perform the operation and to remove the cancer and compromised tissues, thanks to the help of the robotic system the entire procedure is now possible through four one centimeter each. This is because the surgical indication for infiltrating bladder cancer is removal. The voluminous surgical sample, composed of the bladder, uterus, ovaries and related organs, in this case was extracted through the vagina, ensuring the patient recovers more quickly and returns to daily life while minimizing discomfort. The operation was one of a kind, as it had never been performed with this particular type of robot, not only due to the intrinsic technical complexity of radical cystectomy in a female patient, but also due to the peculiar presence of only one kidney.”
Quick recovery
After approximately 5 days of post-operative hospital stay, the patient returned to her home in good general health. The 60-year-old will not have to undergo chemotherapy (not possible given her single kidney) but will continue to be followed by specialists of Maria Pia Hospital with periodic radiological follow-ups using CT (at 3 months and then every 6 months for the next 2 years) to avoid any recurrences.
New frontier
«It was a rare and complex intervention and we demonstrated its feasibility with excellent results even with this latest generation robot. Technological innovation is in fact crucial for our structure and for the Group – continues Muto –. TOHaving the best tools available to face the most complex challenges allows us to have increasingly efficient, cutting-edge and personalized treatments for each individual patient.. With a focus on clinical excellence and innovation, we continue to look to the future of oncology and urological surgery, helping patients in their most challenging battles.”
Robot factor
The Hugo robot, used at Maria Pia Hospital, is composed of an advanced console and four robotic arms equipped with joints, carefully controlled by the surgeon and assisted by medical staff. The system offers high precision and HD-3D image magnification, helping to optimize results and a better experience for the patient, who benefits from advantages such as greater organ preservation, a reduced risk of complications and a shorter post-operative recovery period.
Tags: Unprecedented surgery Maria Pia Hospital bladder tumor removed scalpel robot
