Robotic prostatectomy - a review.
OBJECTIVE
To review the current medical literature on robotic prostatectomy (RP) and report clinical outcomes of this newly developed technique.


METHODS
A MEDLINE search was performed using the following headings: prostate cancer, radical prostatectomy, robotics, robot assisted, laparoscopy, telesurgery. In addition, recently published abstracts on RP were reviewed.


METHODS
Studies that reported clinical and pathological variables of patients undergoing RP were included in this meta-analysis.


METHODS
Data were extracted from published articles and abstracts.


RESULTS
Robotic systems enhance surgeons' technical abilities and offer the potential of precise surgical technique. Short-term follow-up studies demonstrate that RP is at least comparable in efficacy to open and laparoscopic prostatectomy, including clinical and pathologic parameters. RP has benefits of minimal invasiveness, decreased blood loss, and quicker recovery compared with open surgery. Functional and cancer control results are still immature, but most studies reported favorable outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
RP is a promising minimally invasive surgical approach for men with prostate cancer. Short-term clinical and pathological results are comparable to those with open and laparoscopic prostatectomy.
El-Hakim
Assaad
A
Cornell Institute of Robotic Surgery, Department of Urology, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
Tewari
Ashutosh
A
D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D012371:Robotics; D016896:Treatment Outcome