The future of medicine takes shape at the Molinette Hospital in Turin, where the first focal therapy surgeries for prostate cancer were successfully performed. This result confirms the excellence of the University Urology Department of the City of Health, directed by Professor Paolo Gontero, and marks a further step forward in precision medicine applied to urological oncology. The innovative procedure, led by Professors Marco Oderda and Alessandro Marquis, uses Echolaser technology with TPLA technique: very thin laser fibers, inserted through the perineum, are guided thanks to a “fusion imaging” system that combines ultrasound and MRI images. In this way it is possible to target with extreme accuracy only the portion of the prostate affected by the tumor, preserving the rest of the gland. The surgery was performed under local anesthesia and allowed the patient an immediate recovery. To reduce intraoperative stress, the use of a virtual reality viewer was also experimented with: the patient was able to “immerse” himself in scenarios of his choice, from the underwater world to Caribbean beaches, with benefits on relaxation and pain management.
|