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Updated: Dec 19, 2025

Retzius-Sparing Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy
Published on: May 19, 2022
Suprapubic Versus Urethral Catheter for Urinary Drainage After Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy
Leilei Xia1, Thomas J Guzzo2, Phillip Mucksavage2
1Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, West Pavilion, 3rd Floor, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA. leilei.xia@uphs.upenn.edu.
Purpose Of Review:
To review the evidence regarding the usage of suprapubic tube (SPT) versus indwelling urethral catheter (IUC) after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP).
Recent Findings:
Available data on the use of SPT for urinary drainage after RARP is somewhat limited mostly because of the variations of study designs and non-standardized outcomes. Although it may provide some mild benefit in terms of catheter-related pain and discomfort, the benefit seems not to be clinically significant. The evidence in the literature so far does not support routine usage of SPT as the primary urinary drainage method after RARP. Further higher-quality studies that can show clinically significant advantages over IUC are still needed to justify its usage.
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