Robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP)--a new surgical treatment for cancer of the prostate.

Aim: To examine the safety and efficacy of robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) in the early cases of this new technique from a single institution.

Method: A prospective database was created to monitor perioperative and postoperative outcomes of men undergoing RALP for clinically localised carcinoma of the prostate.

Results: The first 30 consecutive cases were followed prospectively. There were no conversions to open surgery, perioperative transfusions, re-operations, or major complications. The mean operating time was 280 minutes, with reductions in time between cases 1-10 and 10-20, and a smaller improvement between cases 10-20 and 20-30. The mean hospital stay was 1.4 days. There was one delayed discharge (4 days) due to an acute anxiety event. One patient required readmission for severe bladder spasm, and one patient had a failed trial of removal of catheter requiring re-catheterisation. One patient had a minor wound infection. The majority of patients had moderately-well differentiated, organ-confined disease on specimen histology.

Conclusion: The early results suggest that RALP is a safe and oncologically effective procedure. The local results are at least comparable with other early series in the literature. It is an important addition to the armamentarium available for treating prostate cancer in New Zealand.