title: Open radical retropubic prostatectomy.
abstract: We describe a surgical procedure for radical retropubic prostatectomies that we have used in a prospective series of 231 patients with localised prostate cancer (mean age 63 yr; range: 46-75 yr). Nerve-sparing was performed in 148 of 231 patients. We insist on three points: (1) high-quality preservation of the sphincter, with the sphincter divided to keep its anatomic environment intact; (2) high-precision retrograde dissection of the neurovascular bundles in the mid-gland prostate zone for early recovery of erectile function (the dissection of the bundles is described for each prostate zone [apex, mid-gland, base]); and (3) the need to standardise each step of the procedure for a reproducible protocol independent of individual patient anatomy. These three measures will ensure the best cancer control with the best functional results. The rate of positive margins for patients with organ-confined (pT2) cancer was 3.7% (2.4% related to an invaded striated sphincter). The quality of the excised specimens was further checked by noting the frequency of capsular incision (2.6%) and of inked benign prostatic glands (2.6%). By 12 mo, 94% of patients were fully continent and 70.5% had recovered the ability to maintain an erection for satisfactory sexual intercourse without the need for medication.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Urologie, Clinique Jules Verne, 2-4 route de Paris, 44300 Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barré
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome