title: Minor modifications in apical dissection of radical retropubic prostatectomy in patients with clinical stage T2 prostate cancer reduce positive surgical margin incidence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe modifications in the apical dissection of radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) in men with palpable disease that reduce the incidence of positive apical surgical margins. Positive surgical margins occur in up to 45% of patients undergoing RRP, even in contemporary series. The apex is the most common site of positive margins, and patients with palpable (clinical Stage T2) disease are more likely to have positive surgical margins than patients with nonpalpable (clinical Stage T1c) disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-five men, 48 to 77 years old (mean age 59.6) with clinical Stage T2 tumors underwent RRP between October 1998 and May 2001. Surgical modifications included identification of the prostatic urethral junction by dissection of the levator ani muscle from the prostate and partial transection of the puboprostatic ligaments; variable division of the membranous urethra 1 to 3 mm distal to the prostatic urethral junction; division of prostatic ischial ligaments before dividing the catheter and posterior membranous urethra; and division of the neurovascular bundle at the urogenital diaphragm before liberating the prostate from the rectum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Positive surgical margins occurred in only 8 (8.4%) of 95 patients, even though tumor extended beyond the prostatic capsule in 55% of cases. Only 2 (2.1%) of the 95 patients had isolated positive apical surgical margins. Urinary continence was not adversely affected by these modifications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Easily applied modifications in the apical dissection of RRP significantly reduce the incidence of positive apical margins in patients with clinical Stage T2 prostate cancer.
authors.affiliation: Section of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Brett A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Laven
authors.forename: Nejd F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Alsikafi
authors.forename: Ximing J
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Charles B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Brendler
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000601:surgery; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014521:Urethra / Q000601:surgery