Here is a link to a New York Times report of a new study out of Harvard comparing the results of
open surgery with laproscopic (includes robotic)
www.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/health/research/14prostate.html?_r=1&ref=healthThe good news is that both seem equally effective against cancer. The bad news is that laproscopic seems to have greater side effects of incontinence and ED.
This study is controversial because it does not take the surgeon's experience into account.
{edit by Geezer}
I just noticed that the thread
Article about
Robotic Prostate cancer surgery
is about
this same study