[Application of a modified vascular blocking technique in intrafascial nerve-sparing laparoscopic radical...

To investigate the clinical effect of a modified vascular blocking technique in intrafascial nerve-sparing laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (INLRP).

We retrospectively studied the clinical data on 13 cases of INLRP completed via a modified vascular blocking technique between July 2021 and August 2022. The patients ranged in age from 64 to 73 (68.8 ± 3.15) years, with elevated PSA of 4.71－16.12 (9.71 ± 3.50) μg/L preoperatively. Prostate cancer was confirmed in all the cases by ultrasound-guided perineal prostate needle biopsy, with Gleason 6 in 7 cases and Gleason 7 in 6 cases. MRI revealed no preoperative tumor breakthrough in the prostatic capsule or pelvic lymph node metastasis. All the patients received INLRP with a modified superficial suture dorsal vein complex (DVC) combined with lateral prostatic pedicle vascular blocking.

Prostatic capsule rupture occurred in 1 case during the operation, with positive resection margin indicated by rapid intraoperative frozen biopsy, so the lateral fascia resection was modified. No positive resection margin was found in any of the cases in postoperative pathological examinations. Urinary continence was restored in 8 cases immediately after surgery and in the other 5 within 2 weeks after catheter removal. At 1 month after surgery, all the patients were medicated with low-dose tadalafil (5 mg qd), and IIEF-5 scores of >15 were achieved in 4 cases (31%) at 1 month and in another 8 (62%) at 3 months postoperatively.

INLRP via modified vascular blocking showed the advantages of desirable intraoperative bleeding control and postoperative tumor control, restoration of urinary continence and relatively satisfactory recovery of erectile function. However, due to the small sample size, short follow-up time and lack of control, our findings need to be further verified by more clinical studies.