Modified technique of robotic‐assisted simple prostatectomy: advantages of a vesico‐urethral anastomosis

Study Type – Therapy (case series) Level of Evidence 4 What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? The technical demands of Laparoscopic Simple Prostatectomy (LSP) have prevented the widespread adoption of this technique by most urologic surgeons. In an effort to decrease the protracted learning curve related for this procedure, Robotic‐Assisted Simple Prostatectomy (RASP) has been described in 2008, demonstrating encouraging perioperative and functional outcomes with a potentially reproducible surgical procedure. Nevertheless, significant morbidities, as the need of blood transfusion and prostoperative bladder irrigation, are still reported in current LASP and LSP series. We described here a technical modification during RASP aiming to decrease perioperative blood loss, shorter the length of hospital stay and also eliminate the need of postoperative continuous bladder irrigation (CBI). Following resection of the prostatic adenoma, instead of performing the classical ‘trigonization’ of the bladder neck and closure of the prostatic capsule, we proposed three modified surgical steps: plication of the posterior prostatic capsule, modified van Velthoven continuous vesico‐urethral anastomosis and, finally, suture of the anterior prostatic capsule to the anterior bladder wall. Using this technical modification, all patients in our series were discharged on postoperative day 1 without the need of continuous bladder irrigation at any time after RASP. No blood transfusion or perioperative complications were reported. OBJECTIVES • To describe a technical modification during robotic‐assisted simple prostatectomy (RASP) aiming to decrease perioperative blood loss, shorten the length of hospital stay and eliminate the need of postoperative continuous bladder irrigation. • To describe perioperative outcomes, pathological findings and functional outcomes of our single‐surgeon series using this technique. METHODS • We analysed six consecutive patients who underwent RASP using our technical modification between February and September 2010. Transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) guided prostate biopsy was performed in all cases and revealed benign prostatic hyperplasia in two cases and benign prostatic hyperplasia plus chronic prostatitis in four cases. • The mean estimated prostate volume in the TRUS was 157 ± 74 (range 90–300) mL and the average preoperative International Prostate Symptom score was 19.8 ± 9.6 (10–32). Two patients were in urinary retention b