Posted November 12, 2010

LANGHORNE – A urologist at St. Marcy Medical Center recently performed a radical cystectomy on a 75-year-old woman with bladder cancer using the daVinci Surgical System. While the robotic-assisted laparoscopic approach is not widely adopted for this complicated surgery, what is even more remarkable is that Dr. Ilia Zeltser also reconstructed the woman’s urinary tract laparoscopically with robotic assistance.

Dr. Zeltser is the first urologist in the region to perform a number of radical cystectomies and urinary spanersions in both men and women completely laparoscopically utilizing a daVinci robotic system.

“Increasingly, we are pushing the limits of what we can accomplish using robotic surgical techniques for the benefits of our patients,” said Dr. Zeltser. “This woman had a very good oncological outcome with significantly less pain and a quicker recovery.”

More than 70,000 Americans are expected to be diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2010 according to the National Cancer Institute. The majority of bladder cancers were termed superficial, meaning the cancer has not invaded the bladder wall muscle and other less-invasive options may be used to effectively treat the cancer.