Examine and discuss indications, technique, and outcomes for robotic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) for testicular cancer.
Open RPLND has been the longstanding standard of care for both primary and post chemotherapy RPLND. Recently, robotic RPLND has been an attractive option with the intent of reducing the morbidity associated with open surgery while providing identical oncologic efficacy. Naysayers of robotic RPLND suggest it is often inappropriately used as a staging procedure and consequently can compromise oncologic efficacy.
Robotic RPLND is being evaluated as a therapeutic equivalent to open RPLND. On the basis of limited published data with modest follow-up from experienced centers, robotic RPLND appears to provide effective staging and therapeutic data mirroring that of open surgery.
Current opinion in urology. 2018 Jul 03 [Epub ahead of print]
Ryan P Werntz, Shane M Pearce, Scott E Eggener
Section of Urology, Department of Surgery, The University of Chicago Medicine., Institute of Urology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.