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Radical Prostatectomy Essay

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Robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALRP) has become the most common approach to radical prostatectomy (RP) in the United States. With nearly 90% of radical prostatectomies being performed robotically some argue RALP has become the new standard of care 1,2. Robot assistance has been shown to reduce operative time compared with laparoscopic prostatectomy (LRP) and in general, it has liberated LRP for non–fellowship-trained urologists at non–high-volume centers 3,4. Several reports have attempted to characterize the ‘‘learning curve’’ associated with RALRP. Metrics used to characterize the RALRP learning curve have ranged from operative time and blood loss to positive surgical margin (PSM) rate. Learning curves have been reported to range from 30 to over 200 cases 5,6. Although a comprehensive learning curve for open radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) was recently delineated by a high-quality, multicenter study, a comprehensive RALRP-specific learning curve has not been clearly defined 7-9. …show more content…

Unlike other predictors of BCR, such as prostate-specific antigen (PSA) velocity and tumor grade and stage, surgical technique influences PSM status. PSM is defined as cancerous cells present at the inked margin and can be considered iatrogenic if the PSM did not occur at a site of extracapsular extension, and by location. As such, PSMs after RP in cases of organ-confined prostate cancer (PCa) may serve as a quality indicator. Additionally, level 1 evidence demonstrates a survival advantage when adjuvant radiotherapy is administered following RP with PSM 11. Consequently, PSMs increase the cost of treating PCa not only at the time of BCR but also in the adjuvant

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