Self-developed surgical method a boon for prostate cancer patients

Ruijin Hospital has announced the success of a self-developed surgical method for patients with prostate cancer, which ensures good urinary continence and preserves their sexual function.

An 80-year-old patient, who underwent the surgery, had his tumor removed while retaining his proper urinary and sexual function, the Shanghai hospital announced on Thursday.

Prostate cancer is the No. 2 leading tumor for men in the world with the fifth highest mortality rate. Though the incidence rate of prostate cancer in China is lower than in Western countries, it has increased in recent years. There were 115,000 new cases in the country in 2020.

The patient was diagnosed with prostate cancer during a health checkup. He went to various hospitals and was told that the treatment included medication and surgery.

Medication carried the risk of complications like sexual dysfunction, while usual surgery could affect urinary and sexual function. The old man wasn't satisfied with both suggestions and visited different hospitals.

When he went to Ruijin Hospital, doctors said they had carried out research on prostate cancer surgery and adopted a series of innovation by developing a combined technique to protect the anatomic integrity of distal urethral sphincter complex during minimally invasive prostate cancer surgery.

"This technique can remove the cancer completely while effectively protecting urinary and sexual function. The research paper has been published in domestic and international medical journals, receiving recognition from both doctors and patients," said Dr Xu Danfeng, director of Ruijin's department of urological surgery.

The patient had the surgery and the whole process only lasted about an hour and a half with less than 50 milliliter bleeding.

He could walk 24 hours after the surgery and was discharged four days later. The patient said he has regained proper urinary continence and sexual function six months after surgery and now enjoys a high-quality life.

"With social development, patients have higher demand on post-operative life quality. We should not only help them recover their health but also have a better consideration about their life quality by upgrading surgical plans and methods," Xu pointed out.