Robotic radical prostatectomy in 93 cases: outcomes of the first ERUS robotic urology curriculum trained surgeon in Turkey

Abstract

Objective: this study presents the surgical, oncological, and functional outcomes of the first 93 robotic radical prostatectomy (RARP) procedures performed in Erzurum, Turkey. These procedures were performed by a single surgeon who had completed the European Association of Urology Robotic Urology Section (ERUS) RA RP curriculum in an ERUS-certified training center in Ankara. Material and methods: The study present the results of 93 RARP procedures performed by a single surgeon. The surgeon performing the operations completed an ERUS training program structured for RARP by two robotic surgeons holding ERUS training certificates in an ERUS-approved academic robotic surgery training center in Ankara.The RARP cases performed by the surgeon after completion of the training between April 2016 and August 2018 were retrospectively evaluated. Results: the mean patient age was 63.62 +/- 7.04 years, and the mean preoperative serum prostate-specific antigen level was 8.34 +/- 496 ng/mL. Preoperatively, 82 and 4 patients had prostate biopsy Gleason scores of 3+3 and 4+3, respectively. Bilateral neurovascular bundle (NVB) sparing, unilateral NVB-sparing, and non-NVB-sparing surgery were performed in 21, 13, and 59 cases, respectively. The mean prostate weight was 85.34 +/- 47.57 g Posterior rhabdosphincter reconstruction was performed in 60 (64.5%) cases. Mean console time, intraoperative blood loss, duration of hospital stay, and urethral catheter removal time were 170.49 +/- 36.50 min, 100.70 +/- 34.08 cc, 6.84 +/- 2.28 days, and 7.40 +/- 3.11 days, respectively. During the perioperative period (0-30 days), five minor (prolonged drain output, n=3; rectocele, n=1; gout arthritis, n=1) and six major (inguinal hernia, n=1; incisional hernia, n=2; anastomotic urinary leakage, n=2; myocardial infarction, n=1) complications were identified. No complication was detected during postoperative days 31-90. Postoperative pathological stages included pT'2a, pT2b, and pT2c disease in 77 (82.8%), 9 (9.7%), and 7 (7.5%) patients, respectively. The positive surgical margin (SM) rate was 10.7% (n=10), including patients with pT2a (n=6) and pT2c (n=2) diseases. Eleven (11.8%) patients underwent pelvic lymph node (LN) dissection. The mean LN yield was 16.45 +/- 429. The mean length of follow-up was 11.17 +/- 8.01 months. Biochemical recurrence was observed in two patients, one of whom received maximal androgen blockage (MAB), and the other one received pelvic radiotherapy+MAB. All the patients with at least one-year follow-up (n=48, 51.6%) were fully continent (0 pads/day). Of the 40 (43%) patients with no preoperative erectile dysfunction (ED) and with at least three-month follow-up, 18 (45%) had no ED, with or without any additional medication including phosphodiesterase-5 (PDES) inhibitors. Conclusion: RARP is a safe minimally invasive procedure with acceptable morbidity, excellent operative, pathological and oncological outcomes, and satisfactory functional results. The ERUS RARP curriculum provides effective and sufficient training.