The removal of prostatic tissue through transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is an operation that can require considerable skill from a surgeon as well as being a lengthy procedure. The potential for using robotic techniques was investigated in a preliminary feasibility study using a standard six axis ‘Puma’ robot. This led to the construction of a manually operated ‘safety frame’ which has been shown to be effective through clinical trials on 30 patients. A special-purpose robot, based on the design of the manual frame, has now been constructed. Some of the safety issues are discussed which make this procedure an ideal candidate for a robotic device.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
KwohY. S.HouJ.JonckheereE. A.HayatiS.A robot with improved absolute positioning accuracy for CT guided stereotactic brain surgery. IEEE Trans. on Biomed. Engng, February 1988, 35(2).
2.
CinquinP.LaraleeS.DemongeotJ.Computer assisted medical intervention. Proceedings of Second International Conference on Robotics in medicine, Newcastle, 1989.
3.
DaviesB. L.HibberdR. D.CoptcoatM. J.WickhamJ. E. A.A surgeon robot prostatectomy—a laboratory evaluation. J. Med. Engng and Technol., 1989, 13(5).
4.
MebustW. K.HoltgreweH. E.CockettA. T. K.PetersP. C. Writing Committee. Transurethral prostatectomy: Immediate and postoperative complications. A cooperative study of 13 participating institutions evaluating 3,885 patients. J. Urol., 1989, 141, 243–247.
5.
GlynnR. J.CampionE. W.BouchardG. R.SilbertJ. E.The development of benign prostatic hyperplasia among volunteers in the normative aging study. Am. J. Epidemiol., 1985, 121, 78–82.
6.
HoltgreweH. L.MebustW. K.DowdJ. B.PetersP. C.ProctorC.Transurethral prostatectomy: Practice aspects of the dominant operation in American urology. J. Urol., 1989, 141(2), 248–253.
7.
MiyazakiY.YamaguchiA.HaraS.The value of transrectal ultrasonography in preoperative assessment for transurethral prostatectomy. J. Urol., 1983129, 48–50.
8.
DaviesB. L.HibberdR. D.TimoneyA.WickhamJ. E. A.A surgeon robot for prostatectomies. Proceedings of Second International Conference on Robotics in medicine, Newcastle, 1989.
9.
TimoneyA. G.NgW. S.DaviesB. L.HibberdR. D.WickhamJ. E. A.Frame prostatectomy: The first stage of a robotic procedure. J. Endourol., 1991, 15, 2.
AbramsP. H.FarrerD. J.Turner-WarwickR. T.WhitesideC. G.FeneleyR. C. C.The results of prostatectomy: A symptomatic and urodynamic analysis of 152 patients. J. Urol., 1979, 121, 640.
12.
Fromodt-MollerP. C.JensenK. M. E.IversonP.MadsenP. O.BruskewitzR. C.Analysis of presenting symptoms in prostatism. J. Urol., 1984, 132, 272.
