Radical retropubic prostatectomy through a minimal incision with portless endoscopy: our initial experience

Twenty-one patients with clinically localized prostate cancer underwent minilaparotomy radical retropubic prostatectomy through a single 5-cm midline or Pfannenstiel incision. A 30 degrees laparoscope was usually positioned around the edge of the incision to facilitate the procedure. The mean operating time was 255 min. The mean blood loss was 859 mL, and no patient required an allogenic blood transfusion. Postoperative pain was noticeably reduced, especially in the Pfannenstiel incision group. Endoscope-assisted minilaparotomy did not involve a learning curve, and could be useful for most urologic surgeons as minimally invasive surgery.