Saturday, Mar 15, 2008
Gulf News
Sharjah: Robotic surgery will be introduced within a year at Al Qasimi Hospital in the treatment of prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer accounts for 7.5 per cent of all male cancer cases in the UAE, according to the National Cancer Registry.
"We also plan to update doctors' skills and the equipment," said Dr Ameen Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary in the Ministry of Health and Chairman of the board of directors at Al Qasimi Hospital.
"When we have robotic surgery in the country, we would be able to do precise operations and patients will be discharged 72 hours after the operation," said Professor Dr Mohammad Rajaie Mahran, Chief of Urology at Al Qasimi Hospital.
Addressing the first annual International Prostate and Robotics Symposium, Dr Mahran said currently robotic surgery is not conducted in the UAE but has become the preferred method of surgery for prostate cancer because it enables patients to retain a high rate of potency and urinary continence.
Detect early signs
"Our main concerns are to detect the early signs of cancer, the treatment of patients and public awareness," said Dr Mahmoud Fikri, Assistant Undersecretary for Preventive Medicine at the Ministry of Health.
Cancer accounts for approximately 500 deaths per year in the country and is the third leading cause of death, according to the Ministry of Health.
Benefits experienced by patients who underwent robotic surgery instead of traditional approaches include a faster recovery, less pain and risk of infection, less blood loss, and a quicker return to normal bladder and sexual functions.
Gulf News 2008. All rights reserved.
