Over 80 UAE specialists attend symposium on Robotic Surgery for the treatment of prostate cancer

Dubai, March 13th, 2008: Today, Dr. Amin Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary, Ministry of Health, gave the official welcome address during the First Annual International Prostate Health and Robotics Symposium at the University of Sharjah, College of Medicine.  The Continuous Medical Education (CME) session, attended by over 80 specialists in the field of urology and general surgery, was accredited by the Ministry of Health and the University of Sharjah, College of Medicine. The full day symposium included video case presentations and discussions of the most recent advances in the field of prostate health and robotics. 

The scientific meeting, organized by Al Qassimi Hospital of the UAE Ministry of Health, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College and Sharjah University, College of Medicine, focused on new breakthroughs in robotic prostate cancer surgery and included a panel discussion on prostate cancer in the Middle East.

According to Dr. Amin Al Amiri, "This collaborative an initiative aims to further raise awareness of prostate cancer in the UAE through highlighting the recent worldwide innovations in the treatment of the disease. We hope to reach out to all men across the UAE and urge them to be more pro-active towards their health."

In the Middle East the number of deaths per new case of cancer is 0.7 - that is for every 10 people diagnosed, 7 will die.[1]  In the UAE cancer is the third leading cause of death.  Data from the UAE Ministry of Health indicate that cancer accounts for approximately 500 deaths per year and according to the UAE National Cancer Registry prostate cancer accounts for 7.5 % of all male cancer cases in the UAE. 

Professor Ashutosh Tewari, Director of the Robotic Prostatectomy Program at NewYork Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College and an international expert in the field adds, "Facing prostate cancer is not an easy journey.  However, with the new advances in robotic surgery that we have discussed here today, it is possible to improve the treatment process giving patients better results and an enhanced quality of life."

Some of the major benefits to surgeons using robotics over traditional approaches are greater surgical precision, increased range of motion, improved dexterity, enhanced visualization and improved access. Benefits experienced by patients may include a shorter hospital stay, less pain, less risk of infection, less blood loss, fewer transfusions, less scarring, faster recovery and a quicker return to normal bladder and sexual functions.

-Ends- 

About NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center
NewYork Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, located in New York City, is one of the leading academic medical centers in the world, comprising the teaching hospital NewYork-Presbyterian and its academic partner, Weill Cornell Medical College.  NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell provides state-of-the-art inpatient, ambulatory and preventive care in all areas of medicine, and is committed to excellence in patient care, research, education and community service.  NewYork-Presbyterian, which is ranked sixth on the U.S. News & World Report's list of top hospitals, also comprises NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center.

For Further Information Please Contact:
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ASDA'A Public Relations
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P O Box 28063
Dubai, UAE
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[1] GLOBOCAN2002 estimates;WHO IARC reporting

© Press Release 2008