Single port robotic surgery is one of the most notable recent developments in the surgical treatment of prostate cancer. Conventional robotic surgery usually uses four or five small incisions. By contrast, single port robotic surgery allows the whole operation to be performed through one small entry point. For men who are suitable, this can mean less scarring, less discomfort and a quicker return to normal activities.
What is single port robotic surgery?
The technique uses a specially designed robotic platform. All the surgical instruments and the camera pass through a single tube, inserted through one small incision near the navel or in the lower abdomen. Once inside the body, the instruments spread out to reach the prostate.
This design gives the surgeon a similar level of precision and range of movement to multi-port systems, but through one access point. Single port robotic surgery is most often used to perform a radical prostatectomy, the removal of the whole prostate gland, for men with localised or locally advanced cancer. You can read more about the standard operation on the robotic prostatectomy page.
How the procedure works
Planning before surgery
Before any operation, your PSA level, Gleason score and mpMRI findings are reviewed to confirm that surgery is the right option. Staging scans help show whether the cancer is confined to the prostate. Each case is also discussed at a multidisciplinary team meeting.
The operation
During single port robotic surgery, the surgeon controls the robotic instruments from a console, using a high-definition, three-dimensional view. Working through one incision, the surgeon removes the prostate while aiming to protect the nerves involved in erections and the muscles that control continence, wherever it is safe to do so.
Recovery
Because there is only one incision, many men report less pain in the days after surgery than with multi-port approaches. Hospital stays are often short. A catheter is still needed for a period while the bladder and urethra heal, as with other forms of prostatectomy.
Potential benefits
Single port robotic surgery offers several possible advantages over open or multi-port surgery:
- one small, discreet incision rather than several
- less post-operative pain for many patients
- a shorter hospital stay in many cases
- a quicker return to everyday activities
- similar surgical precision to multi-port systems
As with any technique, results vary between individuals. Evidence for single port surgery is still growing, and longer-term comparisons with multi-port surgery continue to be published. Background on all treatment options is available from the NHS.
Who may be suitable?
Suitability depends on several factors, including the size and position of the cancer, your general health and any previous abdominal surgery. Single port robotic surgery is not right for every man or every stage of prostate cancer. Your consultant will explain whether it, multi-port surgery, active surveillance or radiotherapy best fits your diagnosis and priorities.
It is worth asking how many single port procedures your surgeon has performed, what results you can expect in your particular case, and what recovery will involve. Our guide to questions to ask your surgeon can help you prepare.
Part of a wider move towards less invasive surgery
Single port systems sit within a broader trend towards gentler surgical techniques. Professor Prokar Dasgupta has been closely involved in evaluating new robotic platforms throughout his career, as described in his biography. The aim is always to adopt new technology only where it improves outcomes for patients.
Independent guidance, such as NICE recommendations on prostate cancer, continues to shape how these techniques are used. For a wider overview of the condition, see the prostate cancer page.
Book a consultation
If you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and would like to know whether single port robotic surgery could be suitable for you, please get in touch to arrange a consultation. A detailed assessment will show whether this approach suits your circumstances.