title: Radical retropubic prostatectomy with running vesicourethral anastomosis and early catheter removal: our experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the outcomes of patients undergoing radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) with a running vesicourethral anastomosis and catheter removal on postoperative day 3 or 5.
  
  
  METHODS
  From February 2006 through December 2007, 55 patients underwent RRP at our institution. All procedures were performed by a single surgeon using a running suture for the vesicourethral anastomosis. A cystogram was carried out before catheter removal in all patients. The initial 23 of 55 patients (Group 1; n = 23) had the cystogram on postoperative day 5, the other 32 patients (Group 2; n = 32) had the cystogram on postoperative day 3. Removal of the catheter was only carried out if there was no anastomotic extravasation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The success rate of catheter removal in group 1 and 2 was 100% and 96.9%, respectively. Overall continence rates were 83.3%, 87% and 90.7% at 24, 48 and 72 h after removal of the catheter, respectively. There was no significant difference in terms of continence rate between groups 1 and 2. None of the patients had acute urinary retention and/or anastomotic stricture after catheter removal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that an advanced running vesicourethral anastomosis during RRP is technically feasible, allowing safe early catheter removal in most patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Tokyo Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. choichiro680910@fg8.so-net.ne.jp
authors.forename: Choichiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ozu
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hagiuda
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakagami
authors.forename: Riu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hamada
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Horiguchi
authors.forename: Kunihiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshioka
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hatano
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tachibana
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013537:Sutures; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014546:Urinary Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D014549:Urinary Incontinence; D016055:Urinary Retention