Technologies

PROBLEM

Robotic radical prostatectomy (RP) is the precise removal of a cancerous prostate gland and some of the tissue around it. During RP, the bladder is severed from the urethra, and must be re-joined at the end of the procedure. In orer to promote the healing of the join, the patient is catheterized for several days.

These Foley catheters are not only uncomfortable, but they promote infections that lead to complications. In addition, some people develop allergies or sensitivities to latex after long-term latex catheterization.

SOLUTION
Dr. Ash Tewari, the Director of the Prostate Cancer Institute at Weill Cornell, has developed a device that avoids using a urethral catheter without compromising the principle of splinting the healing join after RP.

This new approach includes a patent-pending “splint” that is prevents urine from entering the urethra, and supports the healing join. Additionally, a catheter that exits through a small needle puncture below the gut, re-routes urine directly from the bladder.