Editorial Comment

Abstract

Ludwig et al 1 Ludwig W.W. Gorin M.A. Ball M.W. et al. Instrument life for robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy and partial nephrectomy: are ten lives for most instruments justified?. Urology. 2015; 86: 942-946 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF Scopus (7) Google Scholar in their article raised an important question of quantifying the frequency of “premature” instrument exchange, rates of exchange with increasing surgeon experience, and the impact of instrument exchange on operative time during 2 common urologic surgeries—robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy and robot-assisted partial nephrectomy. Although these are considered common urological procedures, the real clinical value of robotic-assisted procedures remains controversial. Instrument Life for Robot-assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy and Partial Nephrectomy: Are Ten Lives for Most Instruments Justified?UrologyVol. 86Issue 5PreviewTo investigate the rate of premature instrument exchange during robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALRP) and robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN). The majority of robotic instruments have a predetermined lifespan of 10 uses; however, it is unknown if instruments are routinely exchanged before 10 uses in clinical practice. Full-Text PDF ReplyUrologyVol. 86Issue 5PreviewWe thank Kim and da Silva1 for their comments. It is possible that our findings can be extrapolated to other surgical scenarios; however, caution must be exercised in generalizing the data presented. We specifically analyzed the instrument use of 3 surgeons at one institution performing robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy and robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy. Importantly, we cannot determine the cause of instrument failure. Full-Text PDF