Incidental appendectomy during robotic laparoscopic prostatectomy-safe and worth to perform?

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Surgical Oncology

Background:

• Robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALRP) is a common procedure for prostate cancer.
• Incidental appendectomy involves removing the appendix during another surgery.
• The safety and benefit of incidental appendectomy during RALRP are not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the safety and patient benefit of incidental appendectomy during RALRP.
• To evaluate the incidence of appendiceal inflammation and neoplastic changes during this procedure.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study of 53 patients undergoing incidental appendectomy during RALRP.
• Evaluation of perioperative parameters including complications, bowel function, and hospital stay.
• Assessment of intraoperative findings and histopathological examination of resected appendixes.

Main Results:

• No perioperative complications were observed.
• The average hospital stay was 5 days.
• Histopathological analysis revealed inflammation in 26.4% of appendices and low-grade mucinous neoplasms in 3.8%.

Conclusions:

• Incidental appendectomy during RALRP is a safe and feasible procedure.
• The appendectomy can identify subclinical inflammatory and neoplastic conditions.
• This approach may offer additional patient benefit in selected cases undergoing robot-assisted prostate surgery.