title: Radical prostatectomy in Austria: a nationwide analysis of 16,524 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse demographics and outcome of radical prostatectomy (RPE) in Austria in a nationwide series.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients (n=16,524) who underwent RPE in public hospitals (covering 95% of all surgical procedures) in Austria between 1992 and 2003 were analysed. Patient demographics, interventions for anastomotic strictures/urinary incontinence/inguinal hernias, perioperative mortality, and overall survival (OS) were determined. Data were provided by the Austrian Health Institute (OBIG). For decades Austria has had a public and equal access health system with compulsory insurance coverage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The annual number of RPEs increased from 396 in 1992 to 2640 (+666%) in 2003; the mean age at surgery declined from 64+/-6.3 yr (1992) to 62.0+/-6.7 yr (2003). An endourologic intervention for anastomotic strictures was performed in 8.5% (45-49 yr: 5.8%; 70-74 yr: 10.8%). An artificial urinary sphincter was implanted in 1.6% with a 5-fold increase from the youngest (0.5%; 45-49 yr) to 2.5% in those aged 70-74 yr. Overall, 6.4% of men underwent an inguinal herniotomy after RPE. The 30-d mortality rate was 0.12%. The 5-yr OS declined from 95% in those aged 50-59 yr to 89.8% in those aged 60-69 yr to 82% in the oldest age group (70-79 yr).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This nationwide analysis describes the current standard of RPE in Austria. The perioperative mortality was low, the risk of total incontinence acceptable, and the OS indistinguishable to the life expectancy of the age-matched male population in Austria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology and Andrology, Donauspital, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Badereddin Al-Ali
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Mohamad
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marszalek
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brössner
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ponholzer
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wehrberger
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Willinger
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Madersbacher
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001317:Austria; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate