Perioperative Complications of Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy: Initial Experience

Abstract

We retrospectively evaluated the intraoperative and early postoperative complications of the initial experience with the first 80 laparoscopic radical prostatectomies performed at our institution. Between January 17, 2001 and July 24, 2002, 80 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer underwent transperitoneal laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. The pathological tumor stage revealed 18 pT2a (22.5%), 29 pT2b (36.25%), 21 pT3a (26.25%), 10 pT3b (12.5%), 1 pT4 (1.25%), 1 pT4 N1 (1.25%). No conversion was necessary in all cases. Injury to the epigastric vessels was detected intraoperatively in 5 cases (6.25%) with immediate hemostatis achieved. There was 1 death (1.25%) 35 days after a cerebrovascular accident occurred on postoperative day 3. We observed 1 (1.25%) postoperative ileus, hemoperitoneum in 5 cases (6.25%), 2 (2.5%) acute urinary retentions, 6 (7.5%) anastomotic leakages, 1 (1.25%) anastomotic stricture, 1 (1.25%) hydrocele and 2 (2.5%) urinary tract infections.

In our initial experience laparoscopic radical prostatectomy was performed with no complications in 77.5% of patients. We observed major and minor complications respectively in 16.25% and 6.25% of the patients. Our series provides evidence that the laparoscopic approach during a learning curve is feasible and associated with acceptable morbidity.