DENVER -- A robot is helping surgeons remove cancerous prostates in a much less invasive way. It's a procedure that has less blood loss, quicker recovery and great outcomes.

Charles Beard first learned he has prostate cancer six months ago. His doctor's advice was to get his prostate removed.

He is doing that with the help of the Da Vinci, a robot that has made the surgery much less invasive.

"Patients recover quicker, they have less pain, they have less problems following surgery and they still have the same terrific outcomes," said Dr. Edward Eigner with Porter Adventist Hospital.

Eigner is one of a handful of doctors in Colorado who uses the Da Vinci robot to do the prostatectomy.

"It's much harder to learn than open surgery, that's why it's not for everyone," Eigner said.

The surgeon sits at a console near the patient and controls the robots two working arms.

"My feet are controlling things just like in an automobile where you have a gas pedal and a brake and a clutch," Eigner said. "Nothing can be done without the surgeon controlling the robot."

The robot allows doctors to use much smaller instruments and turn the instruments 360 degrees which a hand cannot do.

"The technology makes this much easier than it would otherwise be with a regular laproscopic approach," he said.

"I was just very thankful that they had this procedure available," said Beard

"I'm hoping to be cancer free and fishing in three weeks.

And he's confident Eigner got all the cancer.

Beard said he was back to his regular routine just three weeks after the surgery and felt virtually no pain.

For more information on the Da Vinci Prostatectomy and to find a list of doctors who use this technology visit DaVinciProstatetectomy.com

Or call the health advisor at Porter Adventist Hospital at (303) 777-6877.