Surgeon controlled robot-assisted laparoscopic radical cystectomy (RARC) is becoming a viable treatment option for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. There are currently several single-institution reports and a few multi-institutional reports on operative, perioperative, and intermediate-term oncologic outcomes for RARC. While the data appears promising, there is currently no long term oncologic outcomes for RARC. Long-term oncologic outcomes for RARC should be forthcoming in the near future. As the technology improves, and surgeons become more proficient at RARC, the cost effectiveness of RARC should surpass open radical cystectomy. The goal of this article is to review the most recent developments within the past 1 to 2 years surrounding RARC, including important technical advances for performing this operation, current data on oncologic outcomes, and the future direction of RARC.
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McKenzie PL, Hemal AK Are you the author?
Department of Urology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
Reference: Minerva Urol Nefrol. 2012 Jun;64(2):79-88
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 22617303