Single-Port Robotic Surgery Makes Complex Surgeries Possible With One Small Incision
October 30, 2024
Urologists at Hackensack continue to lead the way in this field. Today, 20 percent of the nation’s single-port robotic procedures occur at Hackensack. This type of surgery passes all of the robotic surgical system tools through a single, 1-inch incision just below the patient’s belly button. Hackensack urologists have completed more single-port urological cases than any other institution in New Jersey with Mutahar Ahmed, M.D performing more than 1,125 alone - since the hospital first offered this innovative procedure.
The Benefits of Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery
Compared with traditional open surgeries, robotic surgery offers the following benefits:
- Greater flexibility, stability and range of motion than a human hand for extremely precise cuts
- Less blood loss, resulting in less need for blood transfusions
- Less risk of infection
- Less pain after surgery
- Smaller external scars
- Shorter hospital stays and faster recovery and return to normal activities
Raising the Bar for Prostate Cancer Care
Hackensack was among the first three hospitals in the country to get a robotic single-port surgical system in February 2019. The hospital has become a leading training center for the technique, which is used in prostate, kidney and bladder surgery, including the most complex reconstructions.
A study by Hackensack urologists, in partnership with two other institutions, made the cover of the August 2022 issue of the Journal of Urology — the most respected urology academic journal in the U.S. The pioneering study showed the value of single-port robotic surgery to remove the prostate in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), aka enlarged prostates.
Dr. Ahmed, and Urology Department Chair and Director of Robotic Surgery Michael Stifelman, M.D., led Hackensack’s participation in the 91-patient study. The investigators showed that with single-port robotic surgery, even very large prostates could be removed in a pain-free, outpatient procedure with a very low rate of complications and a quick recovery.
“We are always looking to complete surgeries in the least invasive way and make minimally invasive surgery as minimal as possible,” explains Dr. Ahmed. “With this approach, we are finding that patients have less pain and almost no need for narcotics. They go home sooner and recover more quickly than they would have with conventional open surgery, and with only one small external incision.”
John Deputato of Wayne, New Jersey, can vouch for that. His doctor told him his PSA level — a marker for prostate cancer and BPH — had been slowly increasing. Coupled with a family history of prostate cancer, John’s PSA level was a cause for concern. Dr. Ahmed had treated John’s brother using the traditional multiple-port robotic system. In 2019, Dr. Ahmed referred John for an MRI-guided prostate biopsy, which confirmed that he had prostate cancer. Fortunately the tumor was at an early stage and contained in the prostate. John opted to have his prostate removed, rather than undergo radiation therapy.
Dr. Ahmed removed John’s prostate with single-port robotic surgery in November 2019. John stayed in the hospital for less than a day and went home with a urinary catheter, which he used for a week. Today he remains cancer-free, and his PSA is barely detectable.
“The care I received was really top-notch,” says John. “I was so amazed that I could have this surgery through only one incision. I can’t even see it anymore!”
“Single-port robotic surgery places Hackensack University Medical Center’s urology program on the world stage,” concludes Dr. Stifelman. “Hackensack University Medical Center is focused on bringing the most advanced technologies and the most experienced surgeons together to constantly improve patient outcomes. The single-port technology is transformative and enables our surgeons to perform the most complex surgeries in the hardest-to-reach places, through just one small incision.”
Next Steps & Resources:
- Meet our sources: Mutahar Ahmed, M.D., and Michael Stifelman, M.D.
- To make an appointment with a urologist near you, call 800-822-8905 or visit our website.
- Learn more about minimally invasive urology surgery at Hackensack Meridian Health.
The material provided through HealthU is intended to be used as general information only and should not replace the advice of your physician. Always consult your physician for individual care.
