Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy with sparing of the proximal prostatic urethra

Introduction. The most common treatment option for prostate cancer is radical prostatectomy, which involves the removal of the prostate itself and the prostatic urethra in a single block, followed by the formation of a vesicourethral anastomosis. This approach is fraught with postoperative complications, such as urinary incontinence and strictures of anastomosis. In this sense, the clinic's staff faced the question of the possibility of a urethral-sparing variant of operative benefit for a certain category of patients.

Objective. To assess the possibility of performing radical prostatectomy with sparing of the proximal prostatic urethra in the laparoscopic version, its advantages, and disadvantages.

Materials & methods. From 2021 to 2022, 18 successful laparoscopic operations were performed using this technique at the St. Luke Clinical Multidisciplinary Medical Centre. Patients were selected according to the above criteria. In the preoperative period, patients underwent a standard examination in accordance with guidelines, including a blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA), ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with 3D-modelling, data from a multifocal prostate biopsy, the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), the Quality of Life (QoL) index due to urinary disorders, assessment by the Partin’s nomogram. Intraoperative ratios, early and late postoperative complications, length of hospital stay, day of catheter removal, and time to complete urethral recovery were evaluated to study the effectiveness of this surgery type. PSA testing, uroflowmetry with post-void residual urine measurement and IPSS questionnaire were carried out one month after surgery.

Results. There was an improvement in all measurements one month after surgery: median values of the mean urine flow rate increased by 1.7 ml/s, median values of the max urine flow rate increased by 3.7 ml/s, the IPSS decreased by 12 points.

Conclusion. Based on the results of the study, clinical observations, and statistical analysis of the data obtained, it can be concluded that laparoscopic radical prostatectomy with sparing of the proximal prostatic urethra is the preferred surgical option for this pathology, due to its organ-preserving nature.

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