Critical appraisal of robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy.
OBJECTIVE
To perform a contemporary critical appraisal of robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RaRP) through a review of the recent literature.


RESULTS
Most studies of RaRP are observational and report perioperative, functional and short-term oncological outcomes. RaRP is associated with less blood loss and blood transfusion than open radical prostatectomy (ORP), has a positive margin rate of 9.4-20.9%, potency rate of 79.2-80.4% at 1 year and a continence rate of 90.2-97% at 1 year. Costs of the da Vinci system remain a limitation of this technique.


CONCLUSIONS
RaRP has shown rapid dissemination over the past few years in the US urological community. However, prospective randomized clinical trials with long-term follow-up of RaRP, ORP and laparoscopic radical prostatectomy are still necessary.
Department of Urology, USC Institute of Urology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
Ricardo
R
Brandina
Andre
A
Berger
Kazumi
K
Kamoi
Inderbir S
IS
Gill
D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D012371:Robotics; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome