Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: initial experience and preliminary assessment after 65 operations

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Surgical Oncology
• Minimally Invasive Surgery

Background:

• Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) is an evolving surgical technique.
• Assessing its technical feasibility, oncological outcomes, and patient morbidity is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the technical feasibility of LRP.
• To assess the oncological efficacy of LRP.
• To determine the intraoperative and postoperative morbidity associated with LRP.

Main Methods:

• An original LRP technique was developed and applied to 65 consecutive patients over 11 months.
• Data on operative time, complications, transfusion rates, catheterization duration, pain, and oncological outcomes were collected.

Main Results:

• LRP was completed in 91% of patients with a median operative time of 265 minutes.
• Negative resection margins were achieved in 87.7% of cases, with undetectable PSA levels in 85.7% of eligible patients.
• Low morbidity was observed, including a 15.4% transfusion rate and rapid patient discharge due to reduced postoperative pain.

Conclusions:

• LRP is a viable and effective procedure for radical prostatectomy when performed by an experienced team.
• Short-term oncological results are comparable to conventional open surgery, with reduced morbidity.
• Further research on long-term oncological outcomes and intraoperative visualization is needed to confirm LRP's future role.