Radical Videoscopic Inguinal Lymphadenectomies: A Matched Pair Analysis

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Surgical Oncology
• Minimally Invasive Surgery

Background:

• Penile cancer treatment often requires radical inguinal lymphadenectomy.
• Open inguinal lymphadenectomy (OIL) is associated with significant morbidity.
• Videoscopic inguinal lymphadenectomy (VIL) offers a minimally invasive alternative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the modifications and feasibility of radical videoscopic inguinal lymphadenectomy (VIL).
• To compare the outcomes of VIL versus open inguinal lymphadenectomy (OIL) in penile cancer patients.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of 93 patients with penile cancer undergoing lymphadenectomy from January 2010 to December 2017.
• 31 patients underwent radical VIL, and 62 patients underwent OIL, matched for age, BMI, and cancer stage.
• Comparison of harvested lymph nodes, operating times, and complication rates between VIL and OIL groups.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in the number of harvested lymph nodes between VIL and OIL (p = 0.983).
• VIL had a longer operating time compared to OIL (p < 0.01).
• VIL demonstrated significantly lower morbidity rates than OIL.

Conclusions:

• Modified radical VIL is a feasible and practical surgical technique for penile cancer.
• VIL is associated with reduced postoperative morbidity compared to OIL.
• Maintaining a clear dissecting field and defined plane are critical for successful VIL modifications.