[Perioperative morbidity of radical prostatectomy in patients over 70 years of age].
BACKGROUND
Increased life expectancy has made possible radical treatment of localized prostate cancer in patients over 70 years of age. Perioperative morbidity of radical prostatectomy in elderly patients depending on surgical procedure has not been adequately analyzed.


OBJECTIVE
To comparatively analyze the incidence, severity, and management of perioperative complications of retropubic versus laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in patients older than 70 years.


METHODS
A retrospective review was made of 68 patients over 70 years of age (of whom 42 underwent retropubic and 26 laparoscopic radical prostatectomy) taken from a series of 500 patients. The modified Clavien classification was used to study complications from both surgical procedures.


RESULTS
The overall complication rate was 59.5% for the retropubic and 23% for the laparoscopic procedure (P=.003). Three grade I, 2 grade Id, 19 grade II, and 1 grade IId complications were seen with retropubic surgery, as compared to 2 grade I and 5 grade Id complications with the laparoscopic procedure. The most common complications included intraoperative bleeding (38%) and urinaryi fistula (15%) respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Radical prostatectomy is a procedure that is not free from complications in patients older than 70 years, though these are usually mild. The advantages usually attributed to laparoscopy also apply to elderly patients, and should therefore be considered as the procedure of choice.
Tarragón Gabarró
Sandra
S
Servicio de Urología, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, España. 97526@imas.imim.es
Lorente Garín
José Antonio
JA
del Canto Aguirre
Maialen
M
Rijo Mora
Enrique
E
Bielsa Galí
Oscar
O
Arango Toro
Octavio
O
D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index