title: Surgery-related complications in 1253 robot-assisted and 485 open retropubic radical prostatectomies at the Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To quantify complications to surgery in patients treated with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) and open retropubic radical prostatectomy (RRP) at our institution. Radical prostatectomy is associated with specific complications that can affect outcome results in patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 2002 and August 2007, a series of 1738 consecutive patients underwent RARP (n = 1253) or RRP (n = 485) for clinically localized prostate cancer. Surgery-related complications were assessed using a prospective hospital-based complication registry. The baseline characteristics of all patients were documented preoperatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 170 patients required blood transfusions (9.7%), 112 patients (23%) in the RRP group compared with 58 patients (4.8%) in the RARP group. Infectious complications occurred in 44 RRP patients (9%) compared with 18 (1%) in the RARP group. Bladder neck contracture was treated in 22 (4.5%) patients who had undergone RRP compared with 3 (0.2%) in the RARP group. Clavien grade IIIb-V complications were more common in RRP patients (n = 63; 12.9%) than in RARP patients (n = 46; 3.7%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The introduction of RARP at our institution has resulted in decreased number of patients with Clavien grade IIIb-V complications, such as bladder neck contractures, a decrease in the number of patients who require blood transfusions, and decreased numbers of patients with postoperative wound infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. stefan.karlsson@karolinska.se
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carlsson
authors.forename: Andreas E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Martin C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Schumacher
authors.forename: Martin N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Jonsson
authors.forename: Daniela S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Volz
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Steineck
authors.forename: Peter N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Wiklund
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D012371:Robotics; D013548:Sweden