Institutional impact on number of pelvic lymph nodes retrieved during RALRP while using robotic and open prostatectomy.
Open pelvic lymph node surgery (PLND) remains the best choice in patients with transitional and high-risk prostate cancer undergoing radical retro-pubic prostatectomy (RRP). A group in Rhode Island has adopted robotic-assisted for radical prostatectomy. They wanted to conclude whether robot-assisted laparoscopic PLND yields equivalent numbers of lymph nodes in comparison with open PLND.
After the approval of IRB institute, the databases of open and robotic prostatectomy reviewed at this institution. Patients undergoing RALRP with robotic PLND over a period of one year and patients undergoing open radical prostatectomy with open PLND within the last 5 years were documented. The pathology reports of surgery were keenly examined again to decide the number of lymph nodes obtained from each surgery of PLND. Statistical analysis was performed using Student’s t-test.
