[Positive surgical margin status after minimally invasive radical prostatectomy: a multicenter study]

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Surgical Oncology

Background:

• Positive surgical margins (PSMs) are a critical indicator of oncological outcomes in radical prostatectomy (RP).
• Comparing PSM rates between different surgical techniques is essential for optimizing patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate and compare the incidence of PSMs between laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) and robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP).
• To analyze the correlation between surgical technique, nerve-sparing approach, and PSMs, stratified by pathological stage, in medium-case-load centers.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 1992 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP).
• Evaluation and comparison of the overall and stage-related incidence of PSMs between LRP and RARP.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference was found in the overall incidence of PSMs between LRP and RARP.
• PSM rates were notable in pT3 stages for both techniques, especially when compared to high-volume centers.

Conclusions:

• RARP and LRP demonstrate comparable rates of PSMs in medium-volume urologic centers.
• Surgical experience and patient selection may influence PSM rates, particularly in advanced pathological stages (pT3).