title: Retropubic versus robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy for prostate cancer: a comparative study of postoperative complications.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the complications of radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) with those of robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) performed by a single surgeon for the treatment of prostate cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The postoperative complications of 341 patients who underwent RRP and 524 patients who underwent RALP for prostate cancer at the Asan Medical Center between July 2007 and August 2012 were retrospectively reviewed and compared. Complications were classified according to the modified Clavien classification system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RALP was associated with a shorter length of hospital stay (mean, 7.9 days vs. 10.1 days, p<0.001) and duration of urethral catheterization (6.2 days vs. 7.5 days, p<0.001) than RRP. Major complications (Clavien grade III-IV) were less common in the RALP group than in the RRP group (3.4% vs. 7.6%, p=0.006). There were no significant differences in medical complications between procedures. Considering surgical complications, urinary retention (7.0% vs. 2.7%, p=0.002) and wound repair (4.1% vs. 0.2%, p<0.001) were more common after RRP than after RALP. Extravasation of contrast medium during cystography was more common in the RRP group than in the RALP group (10.0% vs. 2.1%, p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RALP is associated with a lower complication rate than RRP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeman
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Taekmin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Yoon Soo
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kyung
authors.forename: Sungwoo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Dalsan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: In Gab
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Choung-Soo
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Complications; Prostate; Prostate neoplasms; Prostatectomy