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EAU 2017 | What are the pros and cons of robotic surgery in different types of cancer?

Martin Spahn, MD, from the University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland, discusses the pros and cons of robotic surgery at the European Association of Urology (EAU) conference 2017 in London, UK. In the past, it was common to remove the whole adrenal gland for aldosterone-producing tumors, particularly once laparoscopy became the standard of care for these patients. However, other diseases can cause damage to the second adrenal gland, and an absence of both adrenal glands can cause severe complications due to the important role of the adrenal gland in hormone production. He explains the technique of partial adrenectomy, and argues that robot-assisted partial adrenectomy should be the standard of care for smaller aldosterone-producing tumors. Dr Spahn highlights the pros and cons of laparoscopy, as well as robot-assisted laparoscopy. He explains that decisions on which type of surgery should be used can be made based on patient preference, but for some types of surgery such as locally advanced prostate cancer open surgery is still superior.