title: Is previous experience in laparoscopic necessary to perform robotic radical prostatectomy? A comparative study with robotic and the classic open procedure in patients with prostate cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess comparative results of robot-assisted radical laparoscopic prostatectomy (RARP) performed by surgeons without any experience in laparoscopic prostatectomy and the open procedure performed by surgeons with large experience.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed 84 patients (50 subjected to robotic surgery) from June 2012 to September 2013. Data were prospectively collected in a customized database. Two surgeons carried out all the RARP cases. These two surgeons and six more performed the open cases. The perioperative outcomes between the two groups were analyzed with a minimum followup of 12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The corporal mass index (BMI) was higher in the open group (p=0.001). There was more operatve time, less hospitalization and blood loss, better trifecta and pentafecta and earlier continence (p=0.045) in the robotic group (p=0.001). There was no difference in positive surgical margins but with greater extraprostatic extension in the open group (p=0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy is a safe procedure even in the hands of surgeons with no previous experience. Besides this, better operative outcomes can be reached with this modern approach.
authors: State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: Felipe Monnerat
authors: FM
authors: Lott
authors: UERJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors: Luciano Alves
authors: LA
authors: Favorito
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061646:Operative Time; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000502:physiology; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D012016:Reference Values; D065287:Robotic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome