Care of the patient undergoing radical cystectomy with a robotic approach

Radical cystectomy or cystoprostatectomy with urinary diversion is the gold standard for the treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Cystectomy can be through an open or robotic-assisted laparoscopic approach. Advances in laparoscopy, robotic surgery, and urological oncology have made it possible for select surgeons to perform nerve-sparing robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical cystoprostatectomy. Advantages of robotic surgery may be minimal blood loss, shorter hospital stay, quicker recovery, and possibly more precise and rapid removal of the bladder depending on the experience and expertise of the surgeon. Appropriate patient selection and thorough pre-operative evaluation, however, are key in maximizing positive surgical outcomes. The experience at the University of Virginia with robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical cystectomy will be discussed.