Trial Information

In Vivo Confocal Endomicroscopy During da Vinci Robot Assisted Prostatectomy: Feasibility Study

Prostate surgery requires meticulous dissection around nerves and associated structures such
as the bladder, seminal vesicles and vas deferens. Nerve damage during prostatectomy can
result in undesirable outcomes such as impotence and urinary incontinence. Robot assisted
minimally invasive prostatectomy offers enhanced visualisation of the surgical field.
Superior clinical outcomes in terms of length of hospital stay, blood loss, and oncologic
margins compared with open surgery are reported. Confocal endomicroscopy provides high
resolution subsurface cellular imaging in real time and is already in clinical use in
gastroenterology and under investigation in other surgical applications. A potential role
exists for confocal endomicroscopy to enhance microscopic nerve identification
intra-operatively and guide surgical decision making during robot-assisted prostatectomy.