Researchers at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix have reported a promising early experience with performing extraperitoneal robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) procedures on an outpatient basis.
Eleven prostate cancer patients with a mean age of 62.2 years underwent the procedure.
The patients were selected because of their “exceptional preoperative health status with few comorbidities, no history of bleeding diathesis, and not taking blood thinners,” Aaron D. Martin, MD, MPH, and his colleagues noted.
Continue Reading
The mean operative time was 117.6 minutes console time was 76.7 minutes, and estimated blood loss was 168.2 mL.
Of the 11 patients, eight agreed to a postoperative survey. All reported a high level of satisfaction, according to findings appearing in Urology (2009; published online ahead of print). “All patients left the hospital the evening of their surgery without complication,” they wrote. None reported any ill effects from the shortened stay or felt rushed to leave the hospital.
“In a very select group of patients, this feasibility study indicates that extraperitoneal RARP can be performed as a true outpatient procedure safely and while maintaining high patient satisfaction with proper patient education,” the researchers concluded.
