Late last week a 64-year-old man had his prostate removed. As he lay on the operating table with four thin pipes reaching into his body, the actual surgeon sat a few metres away staring at a 3D screen with his bloodless hands firmly on the controls.The "person" doing the cutting and stitching of the tissue inside the man's body was named Da Vinci, or, to give him his longer name, the Da Vinci Si HD robotic system.The machine's tiny hands and mechanical wrists mimic what the surgeon is doing, but with much smaller and more precise movements.The patient was one of the first in South Africa to be operated on by the latest version of the Da Vinci at Durbanville Mediclinic. There are only four of this type of robot in the country.Urologist Gawie Bruwer explained: "It is far less invasive than open surgery. The robotic hands can get into spaces that are much harder for the human hand to work in. The image on the screen is magnified by 10, so even the smallest veins and arteries can be seen."It means far quicker recovery time for patients - one night in hospital compared to a week, including intensive care - and reduces chances of erectile dysfunction or incontinence in the patient.According to research done by Wits University last year, prostate cancer is growing in South Africa. For example, in 1995 there were 2504 cases and in 2006, 4631 cases. Pierre van Vollenhoven, the other surgeon involved in the operation, says the types of prostate cancer are becoming more aggressive.Other procedures that are likely to be done with the Da Vinci over the next few years include the repair of prolapsed pelvic floors in women, colorectal, pancreas and heart surgeries.The health department was not available for comment, but at R20-million, Van Vollenhoven says the Da Vinci is unlikely to be at public hospitals any time soon...