Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2026
Retzius-Sparing Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy
Published on: May 19, 2022
Issue of prostate gland size, laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, and continence revisited
Paul M Milhoua1, Philip T Koi, Daniel Lowe
1Department of Urology, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10467, USA.
Objectives:
To evaluate the influence of prostate gland size on the perioperative, pathologic, and continence outcomes after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP).
Methods:
144 LRPs for which 18-month continence data were available were performed by a single surgeon, and were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided initially into two groups based on final prostate gland size: group 1 (weight less than 50 g) and group 2 (weight 50 g or more). Group 2 patients were stratified into group IIa (weight 50 to 70 g) and Group IIb (weight 70 g or more) to further examine the effect of gland size on continence.
Results:
Larger glands had higher mean prostate-specific antigen (P <0.05) but among groups there were no significant differences in patient age, Gleason sum, pathological stage, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, or positive margin rate. We noted a significant difference in mean time to recovery of continence for patients with small glands versus large glands: group 1 (8.2 months), group 2 (9.9 months), group IIa (8.5 months), and group IIb (13.8 months) (P <0.05).
Conclusions:
Prostate gland size had no effect on perioperative outcomes. However, recovery of postoperative continence can be delayed in patients with large prostates.
