Clinical impact of psoas muscle volume on the development of inguinal hernia after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy

Background Sarcopenia, a syndrome characterized by the loss of skeletal muscle mass, has attracted attention in the field of oncology, as it reflects poor nutritional status. The present study aimed to determine the risk factors for postoperative inguinal hernia (PIH) development after robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RARP) for prostate cancer, and discuss whether sarcopenia could be used as a sensitive predictor of PIH. Methods We reviewed the medical records of 147 patients who underwent RARP at our institution. The psoas muscle volume (PMV), as an indicator of sarcopenia, was quantified from computed tomography images using a 3-dimensional image analysis system. Multivariate cox regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of PIH, including pre- and peri-operative factors. Results The mean PMV was 393 cm 3 , and the correlation coefficient between PMV and body mass index was 0.37 ( p