Professor Choi Young-deuk of Yonsei Cancer Hospital Surpasses 6,000 Cases of Robotic Surgery for Urologic Cancer

Yonsei Medical Center announced on the 7th that Professor Choi Young-deuk of the Yonsei Cancer Hospital Urologic Cancer Center recently surpassed 6,000 cases of robotic surgery for urologic cancers (5,294 cases of prostate cancer and 709 cases of other urologic cancers).

Professor Choi Young-deuk of Yonsei Cancer Hospital celebrates the achievement of 6,000 cases of robotic surgery for urologic cancers.
[Photo by Yonsei Medical Center]

Professor Choi achieved the milestone of 6,000 robotic surgeries for urologic cancers by successfully performing robotic surgery earlier this month on Mr. Choi (74), who was diagnosed with prostate cancer. The patient was discharged two days after the surgery without any significant side effects. Professor Choi began performing robotic surgeries in 2005, reaching 1,000 cases in 2012, 3,000 cases in 2017, and surpassing 5,000 cases in 2021.

The prostate is a male reproductive organ that supplies nutrients to sperm and produces seminal fluid. Prostate cancer refers to a malignant tumor in which prostate cells lose normal function and continue to grow uncontrollably. A diet high in fat and meat-centered eating habits are among the risk factors.

Because the prostate is located inside the pelvis, making surgery difficult, robotic surgery has recently been widely used. Using robotic arms, the incision size is about 8 mm, which reduces pain and bleeding, accelerates patient recovery, and minimizes side effects. A special camera magnifies the cancerous area, proving especially effective in surgeries on the prostate located behind the pelvis. Patients can be discharged within 2 to 3 days after surgery, and the minimal scarring leads to high cosmetic satisfaction.

Professor Choi developed customized surgical techniques tailored to patient conditions such as cancer stage and form. Most robotic prostate cancer surgeries involve inserting robotic arms into the abdominal cavity, which carries the risk of injuring other organs. To address this, Professor Choi uses an extraperitoneal approach. This method avoids passing through the abdomen by inserting the robotic arms into the space above the bladder below the navel. With over 20 types of customized robotic prostatectomy techniques developed so far, the survival period of surgical patients has also increased. 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.

Professor Choi stated, "Although tumor forms vary from patient to patient, robotic surgery can maximize treatment effectiveness," adding, "I am not satisfied with the current achievements and will do my best to develop surgical techniques that can treat more patients more safely."

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