Does minimally invasive surgery for bladder cancer result in unusual sites of metastasis?

To compare sites of metastasis for the laparoscopic (LRC) and open (ORC) approaches in a cohort of patients at a district general hospital. Morbidity and mortality for the two approaches are assessed using secondary outcomes of length of stay and complication rate. Metastasis rate and site are compared.

A retrospective case note review was carried out for all patients who underwent cystectomy for bladder malignancy at Pinderfields General Hospital, Wakefield between 2010 and 2016 (n = 219). There were 150 males and 69 females in 107 minimally invasive cases and 87 open (missing data on 25 cases). Data were analysed using Microsoft Excel XLSTAT.

Recurrence rate was 25.1% and did not differ significantly with approach (p = 0.89). Sites of recurrence did not differ with operative approach, the most frequent being pelvis, chest and bone. Unusual sites of recurrence included abdominal wall and sigmoid colon which both occurred in LRC. Length of stay was greater for the open approach (median LRC = 10, ORC = 13, p < 0.01). Five-year survival was 74.9%. Survival distribution did not significantly differ with operative approach (p = 0.43), and there was no significant association between operative approach and patient death within the follow-up period (p = 0.09). Stricture rate was 4.1% and was not significantly different between the 2 groups (p = 0.29). Median time to stricture was 130 days. Clavien-Dindo scores for complications did not differ with approach (p = 0.93), and there was no significant association between operative approach and whether complications developed (p = 0.19).

The adverse oncological outcomes in minimally invasive approaches suggested by some studies are not confirmed here. Those in the LRC group were discharged sooner, though this did not translate into differences in morbidity or survival. Analysis of the association between individual complications and length of stay may clarify this further. Shorter hospital stay is also likely to have significant financial implications. Despite no significant difference in outcomes, the findings demonstrate potential benefits of LRC. Extensions of this study could include: cost-benefit analysis, examination of individual complications' effect on length of stay; and analysis of approach-specific factors contributing to perioperative deaths.