title: Surgical complications of radical retropubic prostatectomy: A single institutional experience of seven years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the surgical complications of open retropubic radical prostatectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-nine cases of localized prostate cancer underwent retropubic radical prostatectomy in our department in the last seven years. Standard technique of open retropubic radical prostatectomy as described by Walsh was used. During follow-up cancer control and quality of life indices (potency and urinary continence) were noted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Postoperative recovery of all patients except one was excellent. This patient required cardio-respiratory support and nine units of blood transfusion. Forty-nine out of 52 patients were continent, two had stress incontinence and one was totally incontinent at one year. Bladder neck contracture was present in eight out of 52 patients at one year. Forty-five patients were impotent at one year with or without oral tablet sildenafil. Cancer control was present in 45 out of 52 cases. Seven cases had biochemical failure at one year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Though retropubic radical prostatectomy is the standard treatment for early prostate cancer it is not without complications. It has a steep learning curve. More number of cases and refinement in technique is required to achieve world-class results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi - 221 005, India.
authors.forename: Neeraj K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Goyal
authors.forename: Abhay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Sameer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trivedi
authors.forename: Udai Shanker
authors.initials: US
authors.lastname: Dwivedi
authors.forename: Pratap Bahadur
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Singh