Clinical utility of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: advances and current status

Abstract:

The development of robotic technology in surgery has changed the landscape of radical surgery for localized prostate cancer. Early on, urologists recognizing its advantages were quick to adopt robotic techniques, building on the experience gained from years of open prostatectomy. The 3D HD vision and the precision endowrist instruments suit delicate nerve sparing surgery and facilitate excellent functional as well as oncological outcomes. Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy evolved from open and laparoscopic techniques and then advanced alongside developments in robotic hardware. We describe the evolution of robotic prostate surgery, advantages and disadvantages of the techniques and explore the potential future of robotic technology in prostate surgery.

Keywords::

• prostatectomy
• prostate cancer
• robot-assisted radical prostatectomy
• RARP