Status of robotic cystectomy in 2005

Minimally invasive approaches have been shown to offer considerable benefits to patients in the treatment of urologic malignancies. While open radical cystectomy remains the gold standard for the treatment of muscle invasive bladder cancer, the continued refinement of laparoscopic techniques and the success of robotic assistance in radical prostatectomy have led to great interest in minimally invasive approaches to radical cystectomy. We review the current experience with laparoscopic and robotic radical cystectomy and its role in the treatment of muscle invasive bladder cancer.