Research is currently underway at the Indiana University School of Medicine to help men encounter fewer issues with incontinence, undergoing radical prostate surgery in the future. Chandru Sundaram, M.C. professor of urology at the Indiana University of Medicine is leading the first research to establish whether inserting a biodegradable “sling” during robot-assisted prostate cancer surgery will benefit patients.
The biodegradable sling, which supports the neck of the bladder and uretha after removal of the prostate gland, was developed by Cook Medical in Bloomington, IN. The study will assess urinary problems in patients following a complete removal of the prostate due to cancer, with 50% of the patients receiving a “sling” to support their bladder during the procedure, whilst the other 50% will receive current standard care without the insertion of a “sling”.
The aim of the study is to establish whether inserting a sling during surgery will help patients regain a faster regular function compared with those without a sling. This randomized clinical trial is based on minimally invasive, robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). The randomized clinical trial will also track the amount of time required to regain regular bladder function after surgery.
Aware that fear about losing function is greatest amongst younger patients, Sundram states:
“The most important concerns for patients coming in for a prostate removal are twofold: incontinence and erectile function. This sling concept isn’t new, but this usage is.”
Despite robot-assisted surgery’s precision and dexterity, many prostate cancer survivors experience some urinary incontinence for up to 3 months following a radical prostatectomy. At present, the biggest user of robot-assisted surgery at the medical school, the IUSM Department of Urology, is using the sling during surgery. According to Professor Sundaram, the sling procedure during robotic surgery is likely to significantly decrease incontinence after surgery. Other treatment strategies with minimal side effects for the treatment of prostate cancer are also being researched.
The clinical trial included about 80 patients from the IU Health University Hospital and IU Health North Hospital who received a sling during their prostate removal through minimal invasive surgery.
Depending on the outcome, Cook Medical may expand the project to include several other hospitals across the country.
Written by Petra Rattue