Patient-reported sexual and urinary function after open and robotic radical prostatectomy.

Abstract

120 Background: Urinary continence (UC) and sexual function (SF) may be impacted differently after robotic-assisted laparoscopic (RALRP) versus open (ORP) radical prostatectomy. We compared UC and SF among patients treated by RALRP and ORP at a high-volume hospital who were enrolled in a prospective, longitudinal quality-of-life (QOL) protocol. Methods: Between 2007 and 2012, 516 patients treated by active surveillance, brachytherapy, cryotherapy, RALRP, and ORP were enrolled in a QOL protocol at our institution. The focus of this study is 361 patients who were treated by RALRP (N=190) and ORP (N=171). Functional outcomes were assessed at baseline and at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months using a validated QOL instrument (Giesler RB et al. Qual Life Res 2000). SF was assessed by adding the scores from questions on the quality and frequency of erections. UC was assessed by adding the scores from three questions about the frequency and quantity of incontinence and pad usage. Wilcoxon rank sum test and linear regression multivariable analysis were used to assess SF and UC at each time point. Results: Treatment groups were similar in age, PSA, clinical stage, Gleason grade, BMI, baseline UC and SF scores and baseline PDE-5 inhibitor use (all P > 0.05), but the RALRP patients were slightly older (60 vs 61 years, p=0.04) and had larger prostates (38 vs 44 grams, p=0.001). On multivariate analysis, UC was worse in the RALRP cohort at 1 month (12.0 vs 10.9, P = 0.02), 3 months (9.9 vs 8.5, P = 0.01), and 6 months (8.1 vs 6.8, P=0.01) but was similar at 12 and 24 months (all P > 0.2). SF was similar between both RALRP and ORP at all time points (all P > 0.3). At 24 months, UC for RALRP and ORP was 7.1 vs. 6.4, respectively which was not significant in multivariable analysis (P = 0.5). Likewise, SF for RALRP and ORP was 5.3 vs. 6.2 (multivariable P = 0.9). On repeated measures analysis there was no difference between the groups in UC or SF (P=0.4 and 0.5, respectively). Conclusions: Prospectively collected, patient reported QOL endpoints for SF are similar after RALRP and ORP at all time points in a high-volume hospital. Final UC is similar between both techniques, although RALRP patients may experience a slightly slower return to continence.