Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 23, 2025
Retzius-Sparing Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy
Published on: May 19, 2022
Examination of Necessity for Pelvic Drain Placement After Robot-assisted Radical Prostatectomy
Hiroaki Iwamoto1, Yoshifumi Kadono2, Ryunosuke Nakagawa1
1Department of Integrative Cancer Therapy and Urology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Japan.
Background/Aim:
Pelvic drain (PD) placement is commonly performed after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP), but the need for PD placement is unclear. This study aimed to assess the need for PD placement after RARP.
Patients And Methods:
This retrospective study analysed the effect of PD placement on postoperative complications in patients who underwent RARP between 2009 and 2018. All patients prior to October 1, 2016 had a PD placed; those after did not.
Results:
Of the 308 study patients, 231 received a PD (PD group) and 77 did not (ND group). The incidence of ileus, urinary tract infection and anastomotic leak did not differ significantly between the groups; nor did the incidence of asymptomatic and symptomatic lymphocele at 2 weeks and 1 year after surgery. Multivariate analysis showed that lymph node dissection is a predictor of asymptomatic lymphocele development two weeks after surgery.
Conclusion:
PD placement is not necessary after RARP.
