Robot-assisted radical cystoprostatectomy: Analysis of the complications and oncological and functional aspects

Abstract

ObjectivesTo review our experience in robot-assisted radical cystectomy, assessing the complications and oncological and functional results. Materials and methodsFrom 2007 to 2014, we performed 67 robot-assisted radical cystectomies combined with lymphadenectomy in 61 cases. The operations were performed on 37 patients due to muscle-invasive tumors and on 30 due to high-risk nonmuscle-invasive tumors. Urinary diversion was conducted extracorporeally, using a Studer neobladder in 47 cases. ResultsThe mean blood loss was 300mL. No case required conversion to open surgery. The median number of lymph nodes extracted was 16 (range 3–33). Pathology revealed 16 pT0, 15 pTis, -pT1-pTa and 44 muscle-invasive tumors, 8 pN+ and 1 with positive margins. The mean hospital stay was 9 days. With a median follow-up of 16 months, 9 (13%) patients were readmitted after the discharge, most for infections associated with the vesical catheter and other catheters. Forty patients (59.7%) presented complications (most were Clavien grade 1–2). There was recurrence during the follow-up in 4 cases (6%), and 4 (5.9%) patients died from cancer. Nineteen (28.3%) patients had complications after 30 days, most of which were urinary tract infections. Of the 47 patients with a neobladder, 45 (96%) had proper daytime continence and 42 (89%) had proper nighttime continence. Ninety percent and 64% of the patients with previously normal sexual function and reduced sexual function, respectively, were able to preserve sexual function with or without drug treatment. ConclusionsRobot-assisted radical cystectomy plus lymphadenectomy, with extracorporeal reconstruction of the urinary diversion, offers good oncological and functional results without increasing the number of complications.