ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To review the main complications related to the robot-assisted laparoscopic (RAL) approach in urology and to suggest measures to avoid such issues. METHODS: A systematic search for articles of the contemporary literature was performed in PubMed database for complications in RAL urological procedures focused on positioning, access, and operative technique considerations. Each complication topic is followed by recommendations about how to avoid it. RESULTS: In all, 40 of 253 articles were included in this analysis. Several complications in RAL procedures can be avoided if the surgical team follows some key steps. Adequate patient positioning must avoid skin, peripheral nerve, and muscles injuries, and ocular and cognitive complications mainly related to steep Trendelenburg positioning in pelvic procedures. Port-site access and closure should not be neglected during minimally invasive procedures as these complications although rare can be troublesome. Technique-related complications depend on surgeon experience and the early learning curve should be monitored. CONCLUSIONS: Adequate patient selection, surgical positioning, mentorship training, and avoiding long-lasting procedures are essential to prevent RAL-related complications. The robotic surgical team must be careful and work together to avoid possible complications. This review offers several steps in surgical planning to reach this goal.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to review the oncological and functional outcomes of new and established primary focal treatments (FT) for localized prostate cancer (PCa). EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: We performed a systematic search of published studies on FT for localized PCa using electronic databases (Medline and Embase). These studies included reports on hemi-ablation, focal ablation and target-ablation. We excluded salvage focal therapy studies and limited the search to those with a minimum of 12 months of follow-up. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: We selected 20 studies with a total of 2523 patients who were treated in the primary setting. The energy sources used were cryotherapy (8), high-intensity focused ultrasound (9), irreversible electroporation (1), photodynamic therapy (1) and focused laser ablation (1), with 65% hemiablation, 25% focal ablation and 10% target-ablation. The median follow-ups ranged from 6 to 44.4 months. Mean age was 60.4-70 years and mean prostate-specific antigen was 4.4-<10 ng/dL; 26-100% had a Gleason Score of 6, and 0-65% had a Gleason Score of 7. Patient selection was carried out by TRUS biopsy in 9 studies, while transperineal template mapping biopsy and mp-MRI were employed in six and 13 studies, respectively. The overall post-treatment positive biopsy rate was 1.2-51% with 1.6-32% patients having a residual disease in the treated area. The post-treatment continence rates were 90-100%, and the rates of erectile dysfunction ranged from 0-53.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Reliable evidence for the partial-gland treatment of PCa is increasing, and encouraging mid-term oncologic outcomes with the preservation of sexual and urinary functions have been reported. Accurate patient selection at the outset of treatment and careful follow-up seem key attributes to achieve excellent functional results and encouraging oncological outcomes.
