Professor Choi Young-deuk of Yonsei Cancer Center Urology Department Achieves 5,000 Cases of Asia's First Robotic Prostate Cancer Surgery

Professor Choi Young-deuk, Department of Urology, Yonsei Cancer Hospital.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwanju] Yonsei Medical Center announced on the 1st that Professor Choi Young-deuk of the Department of Urology at Yonsei Cancer Hospital has surpassed 5,000 cases of robotic prostate cancer surgery, the first in Asia.

In July, Professor Choi successfully completed robotic surgery on a patient diagnosed with prostate cancer, achieving 5,000 cases of robotic prostate cancer surgery not only in Korea but also for the first time in Asia. The patient was discharged two days after surgery without any special side effects. Since the first robotic surgery in 2005, the total number of robotic prostate cancer surgeries has reached 5,023 as of August this year.

The prostate is a male reproductive organ that supplies nutrients to sperm and produces semen. Prostate cancer refers to tumors that continue to grow without stopping due to dysfunction of prostate cells. Located inside the pelvis, the cancer tissue is hidden behind bones, making surgery difficult and potentially causing side effects such as urinary incontinence or sexual dysfunction.

Recently, robotic surgery has been actively utilized for prostate cancer. Using robotic arms about 8 mm in length, the incision area is small, reducing pain and bleeding, which accelerates patient recovery and minimizes side effects. A special camera magnifies the cancer area, demonstrating its value in prostate surgery located behind the pelvic bone. Patients can be discharged 2 to 3 days after surgery, and the scars are minimal, resulting in high cosmetic satisfaction.

Professor Choi Young-deuk is performing robotic surgery for prostate cancer.

Professor Choi continuously develops customized surgical techniques based on the patient’s condition, such as cancer stage and morphology. Most robotic prostate cancer surgeries are performed by inserting robotic arms into the abdominal cavity. In contrast, Professor Choi uses a safe surgical method called the extraperitoneal approach to minimize damage to abdominal organs. This method involves inserting robotic arms into the space above the bladder below the navel to operate on prostate cancer.

Furthermore, survival periods have increased through more than 20 types of patient-customized robotic prostatectomy techniques developed so far. Professor Choi also applies robotic surgery to advanced prostate cancer, which is difficult to operate on due to bone metastasis. Recently, he developed the 'urethra-nerve-vascular sparing robotic prostatectomy,' which removes cancer tissue while preserving the urethral tissue and sexual nerves as much as possible.

While most robotic prostate cancer surgeries take about 1 to 2 hours, Professor Choi has shortened the surgery time to about 20 minutes through extensive experience, various techniques, and the extraperitoneal approach. By applying patient-customized techniques, using the extraperitoneal approach, and shortening surgery time, bleeding is reduced, anesthesia time is shortened, and side effects related to surgery are minimized.

Professor Choi said, “While treating prostate cancer with robotic surgery so far, I have seen many cases where not only the cancer stage but also tumor morphology varies from patient to patient. I am continuously researching surgical techniques to provide customized surgery for accurate and delicate treatment and to help patients recover quickly.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.