[A prospective trial comparing consecutive series of open retropubic and robot-assisted laparoscopic radical...

Radical prostatectomy (RP) is an oncologic and functional challenge. Few series compare prospectively the two approaches, open retropubic (ORP) and laparoscopic robot-assisted RP (LRARP). The objective was to compare the oncological and functional results of ORP and LRARP.

From January 2009 to March 2012, two practiced surgeons conducted 304 consecutive RP: respectively 129 ORP and 175 LRARP. Preoperative, perioperative and postoperative data (location and size of positive surgical margins [PSM]) were recorded prospectively and compared with oncological results (PSM, biochemical recurrence-free survival [BCR]) and functional outcomes (urinary and erectile) by self-validated questionnaires (USP, IIEF-15). The comparison was made by the Chi(2) test and Student t-test for qualitative and quantitative variables.

The preoperative data 2 groups were comparable. MCP rate was 13.2% for the ORP and 20% for the LRARP (ns) and was 1.4% and 29.6% (ORP) versus 9.4% and 36.7% (LRARP) for pT2 and pT3 for respectively (P=0.078). BCR was the same in both groups (95.2% at 13.1 months). At 12 months, the results of continence showed no difference (P=0.49) and about erectile function, the EF-score was significantly higher in LRARP: 22 versus 17 for the ORP (P=0.03).

Oncological results were comparable after ORP and LRARP. The recovery of continence was excellent regardless of the surgical technique, the recovery of erectile function a bit faster by LRARP.

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