Robotic node for prostate cancer treatment

Mr. To Ngoc Dung (68 years old, Thai Binh) has had an enlarged prostate gland for many years with a weight of up to 95 grams, nearly 4 times higher than the average person. The tumor grew silently and pressed on the urethra causing acute urinary retention, prompting him to go to the emergency room and have a suprapubic bladder drain placed in mid-2021. However, this method made him always I feel inconvenient because I have to carry the drain with me all day long as well as the urine flowing out into the abdominal wall causing wetness, bad smell…

When he visited Tam Anh General Hospital in Hanoi, he was advised by Associate Professor, Doctor, Doctor Nguyen Xuan Hien, Director of Center for Diagnostic Imaging & Interventional Radiology, and advised on the method of embolization to treat pre-hypertrophy. Artis Pheno robot prostate. Associate Professor Hien is the first expert in Vietnam to successfully perform this prostatic artery embolization technique.

Interventional prostatic artery node intervention by robot Artis Pheno takes place in about an hour, after resting for one night, the patient can be discharged from the hospital. After only a few days, Mr. Dung felt a big change in his life when he was able to take the initiative to urinate, feeling much lighter and more comfortable.

After 2 weeks, Mr. Dung had his urinary catheter removed. After one month, prostate size returned to normal, urinary control was complete, and physiological functions recovered.

“Now I can eat, drink and live completely normally, “the other thing” is also convenient. Being back to the life that I have wanted for a long time, I am very happy”, Mr. Dung shared.

According to Associate Professor Hien, the methods of laparoscopic surgery or laser surgery … must bring the device from the outside in through the urethra, potentially high risk of causing damage to the urethra, leaving consequences later on the patient. Retrograde ejaculation, impotence or urinary incontinence, urethral stricture… Meanwhile, with robotic embolization, it is only necessary to insert the catheter and microcatheter from the femoral artery through a small hole about approx. 2mm, avoiding all the adjacent organs, so it is almost impossible to cause complications.

Associate Professor Hien explained that at Tam Anh General Hospital, the Artis Pheno angiography robot system allows even microscopic blood vessels to be seen, while the robot’s artificial intelligence helps advise and guide the implementation and experimentation process. Specialist surgery in complex cases. The assistance of the Artis Pheno robot makes the embolization efficiency many times higher than that of conventional embolization devices, reducing the complication rate as low as possible. Artis Pheno robot takes angiograms with maximum resolution, 4 times higher than conventional machines, helping experts to manipulate pulse buttons accurately and with high efficiency, minimizing complications.

The principle of embolization technique is to approach and selectively block the prostatic artery branch, thereby cutting off the nutrient source of the tumor, helping the prostate gland gradually shrink and not cause urethral compression. When the urethra is no longer compressed, the patient’s urinary function and physiology will gradually recover. However, the prostate vasculature is extremely small, only about 1-2mm or less than 1mm, so it is difficult to find and insert a catheter, especially in elderly patients with atherosclerosis.

Embolization is a difficult technique because the arterial system supplying blood to the prostate gland is very small, the anastomosis is complicated… Proper identification of the prostate arteries and insertion of the catheter is the key to successful treatment of the tumor. prostatic fibrosis by embolization. “Doctors must have a very good understanding of anatomy, pathophysiology, experience, meticulousness and ingenuity, and at the same time need the support of modern technical equipment to minimize errors. errors in diagnosis and intervention,” emphasized Associate Professor Hien.

Therefore, Associate Professor Hien assessed that using Artis Pheno robot to treat embolism is the optimal choice in terms of safety and improving quality of life for patients.

Prostate artery embolization (PAE) is a minimally invasive technique that was first applied to the treatment of prostate enlargement in the world in 2010. Four years later, Associate Professor Hien and colleagues have successfully performed the first case of embolization of the prostate gland in Vietnam and conducted training and technology transfer to many hospitals in Hong Kong, Taiwan and domestic hospitals. With the advantage of qualifications and ingenuity, currently Associate Professor Nguyen Xuan Hien and many Vietnamese doctors are the leading experts in this technique in Southeast Asia.

Hoai Pham