Robotic Surgery & Oncology

Prostate secretes seminal fluid that help millions of sperms travel safely and effectively on their journey to reach the female egg. After a certain age when men no longer desire children, as far as scientists know, the prostate gland doesn’t serve any useful purpose. Actually it becomes a troublemaker. Men can develop prostate blockage, urinary trouble, infection, and prostate cancer. Prostate Cancer Radiation treatments (external beam radiation, Brachytherapy, Proton Therapy, CyberKnife) have improved greatly in the past decades to focus the radiation energy to the prostate and avoid damage to the surrounding tissues, such as bladder, pelvic muscles, nerves and rectum. However, some men still develop acute and chronic proctitis (inflammation of the rectum) in 2-20% of patients based on literature. Avoiding this troublesome condition is the goal of urologists and radiation oncologists. SpaceOAR® hydrogel is a new technology for men who undergo radiation treatment for prostate cancer. It acts as a barrier providing space between the rectum and the prostate, making it much less likely that the rectum, and other Organs at Risk, are exposed to radiation. It is FDA cleared and clinically proved to reduce side effects associated with radiation therapy. It is injected into place prior to the start of radiation treatment, and remains stable until after the completion of radiation treatment. The one time treatment can be done in the office under local anesthesia. The SpaceOAR® hydrogel procedure is not painful, remains constant during radiation therapy and then is gradually absorbed by the body after radiation therapy has been completed. SpaceOAR Hydrogel has been applied in over 25,000 prostate cancer patients and is used in leading cancer centers around the world.