NEW YORK, NEW YORK (PRWEB) JUNE 06, 2017
Results from a systemic review and meta-analysis study published in the journal of Investigative and Clinical Urology found that when comparing outcomes between robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) to laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP), RARP had an improved biochemical recurrence (BCR) rate, potency rate, and continence rate with fewer complications than LRP.
“This is good news for any man who is faced with making the decision of which option to take,” said Dr. David Samadi. “There are very few studies which have compared the outcomes between these two procedures that clinicians can use when guiding men on which to do. This study clearly shows that robot-assisted radical prostatectomy is more effective than laparoscopic radical prostatectomy when it comes to getting the best results.”
Researchers used eligible studies which included randomized controlled trials and prospective and retrospective cohort studies comparing RARP and LRP. Electronic databases were searched for reviews published through July 2014. Reviewed were data synthesis and analysis, statistical analysis along with postoperative complications such as bladder neck contracture, organ injury and other major complications. Also analyzed were operation time, functional outcomes such as urinary incontinence and potency recovery, and oncologic outcomes.
“What this study found were three important findings,” explained Dr. Samadi. “One was the risk of complications after RARP were significantly lower than after LRP especially in regards to bladder neck contracture and injury to an organ. Secondly, RARP had a significantly higher continence rate at 12 months when compared to LRP. In addition, men had higher sexual recovery postoperatively at 12 months in comparison to LRP. And third, the biochemical recurrence also known as PSA failure and biochemical relapse, is when there is a rise in the blood level of prostate specific antigen which may mean the cancer has come back, was significantly lower in men who had RARP then men who had LRP.”
This study did concede that there were some limitations mainly due to lack of data on long-term oncologic results following RARP and some of the recently published articles had far larger cohorts which strongly influenced the meta-analysis. It concluded by stating more high-quality studies are needed that minimize confounding and selection biases with long-term follow-up to clarify the clinical efficacy and safety of RARP.
“Overall, I’m pleased with the findings from this study,” exclaimed Dr. Samadi. “RARP or robotic surgery is a minimally invasive approach in which patients will experience less abdominal trauma due to smaller incisions, along with less pain and less blood loss. For a man to know that he will have a shorter hospital stay, fewer surgical complications and a quicker recovery with regards to urinary control and erectile function, it just makes sense to go with RARP. It also greatly helps for a man to be under the care of a highly experienced surgeon so they can put prostate cancer behind them and get on with their life as they did before the surgery.”
Patients newly diagnosed with prostate cancer can contact world renowned prostate cancer robotic surgeon and urologic oncologist Dr. David Samadi at 212-365-5000 for a free phone consultation. To learn more about prostate cancer, visit ProstateCancer911.com.
