Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is now more common than open prostatectomy, according to a report in the April issue of European Urology. The study also found that there are fewer complications with the robot-assisted procedures and less need for blood transfusions or a long stay in the hospital.
Lead authors Quoc-Dien Trinh, MD, and Jesse Sammon, DO of Henry Ford Health System in Detroit were quoted in MedPage Today as saying, "Within the limitations of this type of study ... for most of the outcomes, robotics seems to be better than open, from a purely operative point of view,"
However, Trinh also told MedPage Today that "This does not take into account function and long-term cancer outcomes . . . For the foreseeable future, though, prostatectomy will remain an important technique for the treatment of prostate cancer; as such, a robot appears to be the right tool for the job."
