OBJECTIVE
To estimate the frequency of complications and the duration of surgery and to assess the immediate and oncological results when introducing the technology of minimally invasive radical prostatectomy, by using the example of a regional cancer center.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
The database of patients operated on applying a minimally invasive approach to prostate cancer was retrospectively analyzed. This procedure was used to perform 50 operations; the patients were divided into 2 chronological groups depending on the time of adopting the surgical technology: 1) the 30th operation; 2) the 31st to 50th operations. The investigators analyzed the following indicators: the duration of surgery; the volume of blood loss, the frequency of a positive surgical margin, complications, mortality rates, the duration of urethral drainage, and the length of hospital stay after surgery.
RESULTS
The analysis of the main preoperative parameters revealed no substantial differences. There were significant important differences (p<0.05) in the duration of surgery (245.25±36.43 min versus 217.55±29.7 min), the volume of intraoperative blood loss (390.5±210.18 ml versus 212.67±128.11 ml), and the frequency of intraoperative (20% versus 5%) and postoperative (20% versus 5%) complications. Groups 1 and 2 showed no significant differences (p>0.05) in the duration of urethral drainage (14.2±4.97 days versus 12.2±3.7 days), the length of hospital stay after surgery (16 days versus 11 days), and the frequency of a positive surgical margin (13.3% versus 10%).
CONCLUSION
Introduction of minimally invasive radical prostatectomy technology is relatively safe and possible in a regional oncology hospital. Although the learning curve in the regional hospital has not yet been reached, the results are comparable to those reported in the literature.