Outpatient Robot-assisted Radical Prostatectomy: A Feasibility Study

To evaluate the feasibility of routine outpatient management after robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Prostate cancer is indeed the second most common cancer in men. Surgical technics have evolved from open surgery to robot-assisted surgery with a reduction of postoperative complications. Such technical improvements associated with modern anesthesia allow outpatient surgery in various types of procedures.

After approval of the IRB, this observational prospective and monocentric study was performed in the urology unit at Rennes University Hospital between December 2015 and October 2017. All patients scheduled for RARP performed by one experienced surgeon were consecutively included. The possibility of discharge was evaluated using the Post Anesthesia Discharge Scoring System (PADSS) score until patients had a score of 9 or higher allowing their discharge. Risk factors of delayed discharge were secondarily assessed RESULTS: Ninety-seven patients scheduled for RARP performed by one experienced surgeon were consecutively included. Only 1 patient had a PADSS score ≥ 9 the day of the surgery (day 0). Seventy-four percent of the patients achieved discharge criteria 1 day after surgery whereas, 33% and 66% of the population was effectively discharged on day 2 and day 3, respectively. Patients with a PADSS score ≥ 9 at day 1 experienced significantly less postoperative nausea and vomiting than patients with a PADSS score ≥ 9 at day 2 or 3 (7% vs 28%, P = .01).

Outpatient RARP was not feasible in most patients. However, routine discharge at day 1 seems conceivable. Improving the management of postoperative nausea and vomiting may even allow outpatient management. This progress remains to be confirmed by further studies.