Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RP) has gained remarkable worldwide distribution and has become a standard procedure for localised prostate cancer, indeed a new 'gold standard'. There are proven advantages in reduced blood loss and shorter recovery time. Whilst case series publications often report improved functional outcomes, systematic hospital and healthcare data analyses mostly do not support these findings. Robotic surgery remains more costly. Its use has also increased knowledge about the anatomy of RP.
Arab journal of urology. 2018 Jul 24*** epublish ***
Oliver W Hakenberg
Department of Urology, Rostock University, Germany.