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Better treatment options and early screenings are two of the main reasons that colorectal cancer mortality rates continue to drop. Find out how advanced robotic surgical techniques can treat colon cancer more effectively than other types of surgery.
Colon cancer rates are increasing in young people at troubling rates. Since 1990, colorectal cancer (CRC) rates among people under 55 have risen 1%-2% every year. While those statistics are alarming, there’s good news to report for those diagnosed with CRC. In the past 10 years, the mortality rates for men and women over 55 have decreased by 1.8% yearly.
Better treatment options and early and frequent screenings are two of the main reasons that mortality rates continue to go down. One of those better treatment options is using advanced robotics in colon surgery.
At Sierra Pacific Surgical, serving Roseville, Carmichael, Folsom, Grass Valley, California, and the surrounding areas, our team of surgeons has special expertise in using minimally invasive, cutting-edge robotic surgery techniques to treat colon cancer effectively. Here’s how these advanced approaches are redefining colon cancer treatment.
What is robotic surgery?
Robotic surgery is a type of minimally invasive surgery that allows surgeons to perform both simple and complex procedures with greater precision and flexibility. In spite of the name, a robot doesn’t perform the surgery. Your skilled surgeon’s hands use computer guidance to control tiny instruments that can work in small spaces with less impact on your tissues than in open surgery.
Our experienced surgeons use robotic technology, such as the da Vinci® Surgical System and Firefly Fluorescent Imaging System®, along with minimally invasive surgical tools to make small incisions and see inside your body. Your surgeon controls the robotic arm to perform the procedure in a more precise fashion than human hands alone could.
How does robotic surgery treat colon cancer?
Colon cancer treatment often entails the partial or complete removal of your colon, also called the large intestine. During colon surgery, or colectomy, your surgeon uses robotic-assisted surgery tools and guided imagery to do this, depending on where the cancer is and how far advanced it is.
Benefits of using minimally invasive robotic-assisted surgery techniques, as opposed to open surgery, include:
- Shorter recovery time
- Lower risk of infection and complications
- Smaller and less noticeable scars
- Less pain and discomfort after surgery
- Shorter hospital stay
- Speedier return to normal activities
Additionally, robotic surgery techniques can be used to remove large colon polyps, which are, at times, precancerous growths on the inside lining of your colon. If not removed, they can eventually turn into cancer.
If you’d like to learn more about robotic-assisted surgery or to find out if you’re a good candidate for this advanced, cutting-edge procedure, call Sierra Pacific Surgical to make an appointment or request one online through our website.