Single port robotic radical prostatectomy with the da Vinci SP platform: a step by step approach

The da Vinci single port (SP) robotic system (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) is a recently approved robotic platform designed with several modifications to the previously available multi-port robotic systems. This article describes the technique performed utilizing the SP robotic system for radical robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) with or without bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection from a single institution. In this report we describe our step-by-step approach, technical modifications from the multi-port technique and initial results for performing single port robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (SP-RALP). We describe our initial experience and technique with the SP robotic system consisting of 23 consecutive patients who underwent SP-RALP between December 2018 and May 2019. The median patient age was 62 years with approximately half of the patients undergoing pelvic lymphadenectomy. The median operative time was 236 minutes, median estimated blood loss was 50 mL and median length of hospital stay was 1 day. No unplanned port placements occurred and no conversions to open surgery occurred. We demonstrate the safety and feasibility of performing a transperitoneal prostatectomy with either a posterior or anterior approach.