Laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy

Abstract

From March ‘92 we have introduced laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy as an aid in staging prostatic cancer. In these patients precise lymph node dissection represents an important parameter for therapeutical decision. As regards this problem, up to now, the only efficacious technique was surgical lymphadenectomy. Pelvic lymph node dissection is usually considered to be part of a preliminary operation during radical prostatectomy, but it seems to be an extreme procedure regarding its pure staging finality. For these reasons we believe that laparoscopic lymphadenectomy represents a surgical technique destined to obtain much agreement between urologists. The technique we practise is very similar to the one described by Schuessler et al. Advantages of endosurgical lymph node dissection are mainly minor invasiveness that allows rapid recovery of the patient, together with a reduction of both postoperative morbility and hospitalization.