Fred Ingram’s first indication of prostate cancer was not a usual symptom for that type of cancer. Many men experience erectile dysfunction or urinary issues such as pain, burning, difficulty going or nighttime frequency as side effects of cancer or other prostate issues. But not Ingram; he took note of his very gradual weight loss as a sign that something was not right.
“I had been going to my regular doctor and every time I went in there I would lose just a few pounds,” Ingram, 76, of Valparaiso, recalls. “Not a lot, just a couple. But, it was enough that I noticed it.”
Ingram made an appointment with urologist Adam Perlmutter, DO, who conducted additional testing to confirm the diagnosis: prostate cancer. Perlmutter outlined various options for treatment including a radical prostatectomy to remove the cancerous prostate entirely, performed through minimally invasive robotic surgery.
Ingram had a prior experience with cancer, having underwent successful surgery for colon cancer years before. That helped to give him confidence in the surgical option for his prostate.
“Take it out,” Ingram says. “I wanted to get it over with as soon as possible and get it done.”
Ingram’s procedure was performed at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart, which is a Center of Excellence for Robotic Surgery as certified by the Surgical Review Corporation. Surgeons at St. Mary Medical Center have performed more than 1,500 robot assisted surgeries using da Vinci® robotic surgical platforms including urologic, gynecologic, bariatric, thoracic and general surgeries.
The robotic platform does not perform the surgery, Perlmutter says; rather, it gives the surgeon control of precise instrumentation that can be used to perform sensitive procedures in which millimeters can make a difference in outcomes.
“I always explain to people that the robot is not performing the surgery; the surgeon is performing the surgery,” Perlmutter says. “The robot is not going to do anything we don’t tell it to do.”
Attached to the prostate are neurovascular bundles. These nerves and vessels control urologic functions like continence and erections. Perlmutter explained that the “trifecta” of positive outcomes for prostate cancer surgery includes complete removal of the cancer, continued continence and continued potency. The more neurovascular bundles that remain intact, he says, the better chance of achieving those last two goals.
Since the surgery, Ingram has had two prostate specific antigen (PSA) tests, and both have come back zero, which indicates there is no cancer present.
As for side effects, Ingram said he was successful in regaining control of his urologic function following six physical therapy sessions.
For more information on robotic surgery at the hospitals of Community Healthcare System, visit COMHS.org/services/surgery.
