A comprehensive assessment of postoperative complications in female patients undergoing robot versus open radical cystectomy.

Abstract

490 Background: Radical cystectomy (RC) is the standard of care for non-metastatic, muscle invasive bladder cancer. Studies comparing robotic to open RC have found that the robotic approach confers non-inferior oncologic outcomes while potentially decreasing morbidity, but to date there have been no comparisons performed exclusively within female patients, who have unique anatomic considerations. Women undergoing RC may be at higher risk for urethral margin positivity, wound complications, and bleeding. Methods: Female patients who underwent either open or robot-assisted RC at the MD Anderson Cancer Center from 1/2014-6/2018 were identified. We assessed co-morbidities, pathologic data, and outcomes including complications. Descriptive statistics, along with uni- and multivariable logistic regression, were performed. Results: 122 female patients underwent either open (n=76) or robotic (n=46) RC. There were no statistically significant differences in age, BMI, smoking history, exposure to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, Charlson comorbidity index, or cTNM stages between the groups. In both uni- and multivariable models, open RC in females was associated with greater blood loss (median EBL 775 mL, IQR 600 mL) compared with robotic RC (median EBL 300 mL, IQR 350 mL), p<0.001. Female open RC was also associated with greater risk of transfusion compared to robotic RC (OR 6.2, 95% CI 2.7-14.3, p<0.001). Robotic RC conferred a higher median lymph node yield (27 nodes (range 7,57) vs 20 nodes (0,57), p, <0.001). Operative times were longer in the robotic cohort (median 507 min vs 388 min, p<0.001). There were no differences between robotic vs open groups in margin positivity (5.3% vs 4.4%, p≥0.99), length of stay (6.3 vs 6.9 days, p=0.32), or readmission rates at 30 (26.1% vs 22.7%, p=0.67) and 90 days (32.6% vs 28%, p=0.68). Conclusions: In this cohort of women undergoing RC, the robotic approach was associated with a lower risk of transfusion and EBL, and a higher median lymph node yield and operative time. Unique anatomic considerations in female patients and the improved visualization conferred by the robotic approach may be responsible for these findings, particularly with respect to blood loss.