title: Robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: oncologic and functional results of 184 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the initial functional and oncologic results of 184 robot-assisted radical prostatectomies performed at our hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was made of the first 184 consecutive robot-assisted radical prostatectomies performed at our hospital between February 2003 and December 2005. The procedures were performed by two surgeons who used the da Vinci robot with three robot arms. A transperitoneal approach was used in all patients. All patients had clinically organ-confined prostate cancer (< or =cT2c). The median follow-up was 6 mo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A positive surgical margin was found in 29 of the 184 patients (mean: 15.7%). The percentage positive surgical margins for the organ-confined (pT2) and non-organ-confined prostate cancers (pT3) were 2.5% and 38%, respectively. Ninety-five percent of patients were completely continent or wore one safety liner. Forty-three percent of the continent patients achieved complete continence within 28 d. Eighty-one percent of the patients who were younger than 60 yr and received a nerve-sparing procedure were potent and able to perform sexual intercourse. This percentage dropped to 51% in patients older than 60 yr. No major complications were encountered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The functional and oncologic results of this minimally invasive procedure seem very promising. Longer follow-up of the data and larger prospective studies are necessary to confirm these promising results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Hospital, Aalst, Belgium.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mottrie
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Migem
authors.forename: Geert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Naeyer
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schatteman
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carpentier
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fonteyne
mesh_terms: D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000502:physiology*; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012371:Robotics / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control