Radical prostatectomy with bladder neck preservation: surgical margins and urinary continence

To evaluate the functional and cancer results of radical prostatectomy with bladder neck preservation in the treatment of localized prostate cancer. From January 2000 to March 2006, 194 consecutive patients underwent open retropubic radical prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer. The bladder neck was technically preserved in 180 patients (93%). The mean age of these 180 patients was 63.2+/-6.1 years. The mean preoperative PSA was 9.38+/-6 ng/ml. The 180 patients were classified according to the Amico prognostic classification as low risk: 52.2%, intermediate risk: 37.8% and high risk: 10%. Operative specimens were examined by the same pathologist according to the Stanford technique. Positive surgical margin was defined as tumour tissue in contact with the ink of the operative specimen. For analysis of the functional results, patients were classified into three categories: continent without protection, stress incontinent, totally incontinent. Continence was evaluated at D10, one month, six months, one, two, three, four and five years. The mean follow-up was 44+/-25 months. This series of 180 operative specimens comprised 64 (35.6%) cases of positive surgical margins and 112 (62.2%) pT3 cancers. No positive margins were observed in the bladder neck, either alone or associated with another positive margin. Seventy-one percent of patients were continent on D10 and at one month, 85% were continent at six months and 89% were continent at one year. Two cases of anastomotic stenosis were observed (1.2%). Bladder neck preservation during open retropubic radical prostatectomy allows early continence in more than 70% of cases without increasing the risk of positive surgical margins.