Robotic-assisted artificial urinary sphincter revisions for women suffering from non-neurogenic stress incontinence: a single center experience.

PURPOSE: Patients with artificial urinary eventually need surgical revision. Unfortunately, in women, this requires another invasive abdominal intervention. Robotic-assisted revision may provide a less invasive and more acceptable approach for sphincter revision in women. We wanted to determinate the continence status after robotic-assisted artificial urinary sphincter revision among women with stress incontinence. We also examined postoperative complications and the safety of the procedure. METHODS: The chart of the 31 women with stress urinary incontinence who underwent robotic-assisted AUS revision at our referral center from January 2015 to January 2022 were reviewed retrospectively. All patients underwent a robotic-assisted artificial urinary sphincter revision by one of our two expert surgeons. The primary outcome was to determinate the continence rate after revision and the secondary outcome aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of the procedure. RESULTS: Mean patients age was 65 years old, and the mean time between the sphincter revision and previous implantation was 98 months. After a mean follow-up of 35 months, 75% of the patients were fully continent (0-pad). Moreover, 71% of the women were back to the same continence status as with the previously functional sphincter, while 14% even have an improved continence status. Clavien-Dindo grade [Formula: see text] 3 and overall complications occurred in 9% and 20.5% of our patients, respectively. This study is mainly limited by its retrospective design. CONCLUSION: Robotic-assisted AUS revision carries satisfying outcome in terms of continence and safety.

Perioperative, renal function and oncological outcomes of robot-assisted radical nephroureterectomy for patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To report perioperative, renal function and oncological outcomes of robot-assisted radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). METHODS: This was a retrospective single-arm monocentric study including all consecutive UTUC patients treated with robot-assisted RNU at our institution between 2014 and 2022. Descriptive statistics with median and interquartile range (IQR) for continuous variables and numbers with frequencies for categorical variables were used to report perioperative and renal function outcomes while Kaplan-Meier curves were computed to present extravesical and intravesical recurrence-free survival(RFS) as well as cancer-specific (CSS) and overall survival (OS) with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals(CIs). RESULTS: Overall, 70 patients with a median age of 69.6 [63.3-74.9] years were included in our study. With regards to perioperative outcomes, the median operative time was 157 [130-182] min with a median blood loss of 200 [100-300] cc. Intraoperative complications occurred in 4 (5.7%) patients but no conversion to open or laparoscopic surgery was required. Postoperative complications occurred in 9 (12.9%) patients, including 5 (7.1%) with grade ≥ 3 complications according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. The median length of stay was 4 [3-6] days. With regards to renal function outcomes, the median postoperative loss in estimated glomerular filtration rate at discharge was 16 [10.25-26] mL/min/1.73 m2. With regards to oncological outcomes, the 3-year extravesical and intravesical RFS, CSS and OS rates were 73.6 [62.8-86.2]%, 68.1 [54.6-85]%, 82.5 [72-94.4]% and 75.3 [63.4-89.5]%, respectively. CONCLUSION: We report favorable perioperative and oncological outcomes with expected decrease in renal function after robot-assisted RNU for patients with UTUC.

Late complications and 5 years outcomes of robotic partial nephrectomy in France: prospective assessment in the French Kidney Cancer Research Network (UroCCR 10).

PURPOSE: To describe the practice of robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) in France and prospectively assess the late complications and long-term outcomes. METHODS: Prospective, multicenter (n = 16), observational study including all patients diagnosed with a renal tumor who underwent RAPN. Preoperative, intraoperative, postoperative, and follow-up data were collected and stored in the French research network for kidney cancer database (UroCCR). Patients were included over a period of 12 months, then followed for 5 years. RESULTS: In total, 466 patients were included, representing 472 RAPN. The mean tumor size was 3.4 ± 1.7 cm, most of moderate complexity (median PADUA and RENAL scores of 8 [7-10] and 7 [5-9]). Indication for nephron-sparing surgery was relative in 7.1% of cases and imperative in 11.8%. Intraoperative complications occurred in 6.8% of patients and 4.2% of RAPN had to be converted to open surgery. Severe postoperative complications were experienced in 2.3% of patients and late complications in 48 patients (10.3%), mostly within the first 3 months and mainly comprising vascular, infectious, or parietal complications. At 5 years, 29 patients (6.2%) had chronic kidney disease upstaging, 21 (4.5%) were diagnosed with local recurrence, eight (1.7%) with contralateral recurrence, 25 (5.4%) with metastatic progression, and 10 (2.1%) died of the disease. CONCLUSION: Our results reflect the contemporary practice of French expert centers and is, to our knowledge, the first to provide prospective data on late complications associated with RAPN. We have shown that RAPN provides good functional and oncologic outcomes while limiting short- and long-term morbidity. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03292549.

Impact of Renal Cell Carcinoma Histological Variants on Recurrence After Partial Nephrectomy: A Multi-Institutional, Prospective Study (UROCCR Study 82).

BACKGROUND: The prognostic impact of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) morphotype remains unclear in patients who undergo partial nephrectomy (PN). Our objective was to determine the risk factors for recurrence after PN, including RCC morphotype. METHODS: Patients with RCC who had undergone PN were extracted from the prospective, national French database, UroCCR. Patients with genetic predisposition, bilateral or multiple tumours, and those who had undergone secondary totalization were excluded. Primary endpoint was 5-year, recurrence-free survival (RFS), and secondary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Risk factors for recurrence were assessed by multivariable Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 2,767 patients were included (70% male; median age: 61 years [interquartile range (IQR) 51-69]). Most (71.5%) of the PN procedures were robot-assisted. Overall, 2,573 (93.0%) patients were recurrence free, and 74 died (2.7%). Five-year RFS was 84.9% (IQR 82.4-87.4). A significant difference in RFS was observed between RCC morphotypes (p < 0.001). Surgical margins (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.0 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-3.2], p < 0.01), pT stage >1 (HR = 2.6 [95% CI: 1.8-3.7], p < 0.01]) and Fuhrmann grade >2 (HR = 1.9 [95% CI: 1.4-2.6], p < 0.001) were risk factors for recurrence, whereas chromophobe subtype was a protective factor (HR = 0.08 [95% CI: 0.01-0.6], p = 0.02). Five-year OS was 94.0% [92.4-95.7], and there were no significant differences between RCC subgroups (p = 0.06). The main study limitation was its design (multicentre national database), which may be responsible for declarative bias. CONCLUSIONS: Chromophobe morphotype was significantly associated with better RFS in RCC patients who underwent PN. Conversely, pT stage, Fuhrman group and positive surgical margins were risk factors for recurrence.

Outcomes of robot-assisted urinary sphincter implantation for male neurogenic urinary incontinence.

OBJECTIVES: To report the functional outcomes of robot-assisted laparoscopic artificial urinary sphincter implantation (R-AUS) in men with neurogenic stress urinary incontinence (SUI). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A monocentric retrospective study included all consecutive adult male neuro-urological patients who underwent R-AUS for SUI between January 2011 and August 2018. The AUS was implanted via a transperitoneal robot-assisted laparoscopic approach. Intraoperative and early postoperative complications were reported (Clavien-Dindo classification). Continence was defined as no pad usage. Revision and explantation rates were also evaluated. RESULTS: Overall, 19 men with a median (interquartile range [IQR]) age of 45 (37-54) years were included. No conversion to laparotomy was needed. Three minor (Clavien-Dindo Grade I-II) early postoperative complications occurring in three (15.8%) patients were reported. The median (IQR) follow-up was 58 (36-70) months. At the end of the follow-up, the continence rate was 89.5%. The AUS revision and explantation rates were 5.3% and 0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: A R-AUS is a safe and efficient procedure for AUS implantation in adult male neuro-urological patients, referring to the challenging open technique.

Robotic versus open simple prostatectomy for benign prostatic hyperplasia in large glands: single-centre study.

PURPOSE: Robot-assisted simple prostatectomy (RASP) for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a recently described surgical approach, but comparison with open simple prostatectomy (OSP) lack in the literature. We compared perioperative outcomes of OSP versus RASP. METHODS: Patients who underwent simple prostatectomy between 2017 and 2020 were included in this retrospective study. OSP was performed by the transvesical technique and RASP was performed with a DaVinci Xi robot, using the transvesical extraperitoneal approach. Perioperative and postoperative data were compared and complications risk factors for complications were identified. RESULTS: and limitations. Overall, 103 patients were included (median age 72 years [IQR = 67-76]). Forty-seven underwent RASP and 56 OSP. The median volume of the prostate gland was 130 mL [IQR = 100-180] in the RASP group and 126 mL [IQR = 100-160] in the OSP group. RASP was associated with a significant reduction in blood loss (median 200 vs. 400 mL; p < 0.001), shorter hospital stay (5 vs. 10 days; p < 0.001) and median catheterisation time (4 vs. 9 days; p < 0.001). In the RASP group, there were fewer grade ≥ 2 complications (2 (4.3%) vs. 13 (23.2%); p = 0.005) and less need for transfusions (0 vs. 6 (11%), p = 0.005). Preoperative prostate volume was a risk factor for complications (OR = 1.2 [95% CI 1.1-1.5]; p = 0.01) while robot-assisted surgery was a protective factor (OR 0.3 [95% CI 0.05-0.9]; p = 0.05). Functional outcomes between the two groups were identical at 12 months follow up. CONCLUSION: RASP is a safe and effective procedure. When compared with OSP, RASP was associated with decreased morbidity as well as reduced hospital stay and catheterisation time. Functional outcomes were comparable to the open approach.

Robotic versus open cystectomy with ileal conduit for the management of neurogenic bladder: a comparative study.

PURPOSE: Cystectomy associated with non-continent ileal diversion is a common surgery in patients with neurogenic bladder. Few data are available, especially for the robotic approach. Our purpose was to compare open cystectomy (OC) and robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) with ileal conduit, regarding peri- and post-operative outcomes. METHODS: We included each patient who underwent cystectomy and ileal conduit for neurogenic bladder in a referral-center between January 2017 and November 2021. Data were retrospectively analyzed. Median follow-up was 16.6 months [IQR: 5; 41]. All patients had neurogenic bladder with failure of conservative treatment and/or impacted Quality of Life (QoL). Open cystectomy with non-continent ileal diversion and robot-assisted cystectomy with intra-corporeal non-continent ileal diversion were compared. Primary endpoint was postoperative complications. Secondary endpoints were length of hospital stay (LOS), surgery duration, blood loss and ureteral anastomosis stricture. RESULTS: A total of 123 patients were included, n = 85 (69.1%) undergoing OC and n = 38 (30.9%) RARC. Significant differences were observed for: operative time (OC 266.9 ± 64 vs. RARC 205.8 ± 55.5 min, p < 0.001), blood loss (OC 737.7 ± 515.8 vs. RARC 245.8 ± 169.6 ml, p < 0.001), delay until feeding resumption (OC 7.1 ± 4.7 vs. RARC 5.5 ± 2.9 days, p = 0.05) and mean LOS (OC 21.6 ± 13.9 vs. RARC 16.2 ± 7.6 days, p = 0.03). In RARC group, there were 10.5% complications Clavien-Dindo > 2 whereas 23.8% complications underwent in the OC group (p = 0.1). CONCLUSION: RARC is a safe approach for management of neurological bladder showing significantly better perioperative outcomes.

Urodynamic assessment and quality of life outcomes of robot-assisted totally intracorporeal radical cystectomy and orthotopic neobladder for bladder cancer: a preliminary study.

PURPOSE: Few data exist regarding the functional outcomes of robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) with intracorporeal orthotopic neobladder. The aim of this study was to evaluate the urodynamic and functional outcomes in patients undergoing RARC and totally intracorporeal orthotopic neobladder for bladder cancer. METHODS: In this monocentric, observational study carried out between 2016 and 2020, consecutive patients undergoing RARC and intracorporeal orthotopic neobladder in the Department of Urology, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, were included. Reconstruction was totally intracorporeal Y-shaped neobladder. Main outcomes were urodynamic findings 6 months post-surgery, continence and quality of life (QoL). Continence was defined by no pad or one safety pad. International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ), International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire (IIEF-5) and Bladder Cancer Index (BCI) scores were recorded. RESULTS: Fourteen male patients were included (median age: 64 years [IQR 54-67]. Median maximal neobladder cystometric capacity was 495 ml [IQR 410-606] and median compliance was 35.5 ml/cm H2O [IQR 28-62]. All patients had post-void residual volume < 30 ml, except for three (22%) who required clean intermittent-self catheterisation. Daytime continence was achieved in 10 patients (71%) and night-time continence in two (14.3%). Median ICIQ score was 7 [IQR 5-11]. Postoperative erectile function was present in 7% of patients (mean IIEF-5 = 5 [IQR 2-7]). Thirteen patients (93%) were satisfied with their choice of neobladder. CONCLUSION: RARC with totally intracorporeal orthotopic neobladder for bladder cancer provides satisfactory urodynamic results and good QoL. These findings should be confirmed long-term.

Preliminary assessment of patient and physician satisfaction with the use of teleconsultation in urology during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PURPOSE: Lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic compelled urologists to change access to healthcare, especially for oncology patients. Teleconsultation is a safe way to receive medical advice without a risk of infection, and was implemented urgently in our academic centres. Our purpose was to evaluate patient and physician satisfaction with teleconsultation set up during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: From March 16th 2020, all face-to-face consultations were cancelled in France, except for emergencies. Teleconsultation was started immediately by five senior urologists in two academic hospitals. All patients received an email survey including the validated Teleconsultation Satisfaction Questionnaire (TSQ) and demographic questions. Data were collected prospectively. Physicians also responded to the TSQ. Patient satisfaction was measured objectively with the validated 14-item TSQ. Each item was scored on a 5-point Likert scale. Factors associated with positive satisfaction with teleconsultation were assessed by multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Overall, 105 patients replied to the survey (91.3%). Median age was 66 years (IQR: 55‒71) and 95 were men (90.5%). Median overall TSQ score was 67 (IQR: 60‒69); teleconsultation was judged to be a good experience by 88 patients (83.8%) and four physicians (80%). Patients who met their surgeon for the first time were more likely to have a good experience (OR = 1.2 [95% CI 1.1‒1.5], p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Introduced rapidly during the COVID-19 lockdown, urology teleconsultation attained a high level of satisfaction among both patients and physicians. A major change in telemedicine use is foreseen in the post COVID-19 era.

Multi-Institutional Assessment of Routine Same Day Discharge Surgery for Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy.

PURPOSE: We assessed the multi-institutional safety of same day discharge for robot-assisted radical prostatectomy within a single health care system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 358 patients undergoing planned same day discharge for robot-assisted radical prostatectomy at 6 French centers. Primary outcomes were same day discharge failure, and 30-day complication and readmission rates. Secondary outcomes included preoperative characteristics, perioperative parameters, Chung score and pain visual analogue scale at discharge, pathological features and followup. RESULTS: Mean patient age was 64.7 years. Mean operative time and blood loss were 147.5 minutes and 228 ml, respectively. Concomitant lymph node dissection and nerve sparing procedures were performed in 43% and 62% of cases, respectively. No patient required transfusion or conversion. The same day discharge failure, complication and readmission rates were 4.2%, 16.8% and 2.8%, respectively. The most frequent complications were low grade complications including urinary infection (6.4%) and ileus (2.8%). Blood loss, lymph node dissection and pain visual analogue scale were significantly correlated with same day discharge failure. Same day discharge failure was reported in 7.8% of patients with pelvic lymph node dissection compared with only 1.5% of patients who did not undergo lymph node dissection (p=0.003). ASA® score was the only factor significantly associated with postoperative complications (p=0.023). The only factor correlated with readmission was the pain visual analogue scale at discharge (p=0.017). CONCLUSIONS: This first multi-institutional evaluation confirms the safety of same day discharge robot-assisted radical prostatectomy in a single health care system and identifies for the first time factors associated with same day discharge failure and readmission. These findings may help physicians anticipate ideal same day discharge candidates and adapt postoperative followup.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic artificial urinary sphincter insertion in women with stress urinary incontinence: a pilot single-centre study.

OBJECTIVE: To report the functional outcomes of robot-assisted laparoscopic artificial urinary sphincter (AUS; AMS 800™, American Medical Systems, Minnetonka, MN, USA) implantation and revision in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A pilot prospective monocentric study included all consecutive female patients with SUI and undergoing an AUS surgery (implantation or revision) using a robotic approach between 2012 and 2018. The AUS was implanted through a transperitoneal robotic approach. The dissection of the bladder neck was initiated using a posterior approach with a permanent visual control. Intraoperative and early postoperative complications were reported (Clavien-Dindo classification). Continence was defined as no pad usage. RESULTS: A total of 41 patients, median (interquartile range [IQR]) age 67.5 (57-74.7) years were included. In the group of 27 patients undergoing an AUS implantation, one conversion to laparotomy, one bladder neck and one ureteric injury occurred. The AUS was not implanted in the two latest cases. Twelve minor (Clavien-Dindo Grade I-II) early postoperative complications occurring in 10 patients were reported. The median (IQR) follow-up was 19 (11-27) months. The continence rate was 84% (21/25 patients). In the group of 14 patients undergoing an AUS revision, no vaginal or bladder injury was reported. One patient had a bowel injury with conversion to laparotomy without AUS insertion. Two major (Clavien-Dindo Grade III-V) early postoperative complications occurred in two patients: one intraoperative bowel injury, which ultimately resulted in the death of the patient and one device infection requiring an explantation of the AUS. The median (IQR) follow-up was 18 (13.5-24.2) months. The continence rate was 83.3% (10/12 patients). CONCLUSION: The results obtained after robot-assisted laparoscopic AUS implantation among women are promising despite the significant morbidity due to previous pelvic surgeries. Longer follow-up studies are needed.

Robotic versus open radical cystectomy throughout the learning phase: insights from a real-life multicenter study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) has been shown to be non-inferior to open radical cystectomy (ORC) for the treatment of bladder cancer (BC). However, most data on RARC come from high-volume surgeons at high-volume centers. The objective of the study was to compare perioperative and mid-term oncologic outcomes of RARC versus ORC in a real-life cohort of patients treated by surgeons starting their experience with RARC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were prospectively collected from consecutive patients undergoing RARC and ORC at five referral Centers between 2010 and 2016 by five surgeons (one per center) with no prior experience in RARC. Patients with high-risk non-muscle-invasive or organ-confined muscle-invasive (T2N0M0) bladder cancer were considered for RARC. The main study endpoints were perioperative outcomes, postoperative surgical complications, and mid-term oncologic outcomes. RESULTS: Overall, 124 and 118 patients underwent RARC and ORC, respectively. Baseline patients' and tumors' characteristics were comparable between the two groups. Yet, the proportion of patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy was significantly higher in the RARC cohort. Median operative time was significantly higher, while median EBL, LOH, and transfusion rates were significantly lower after RARC. Median number of lymph nodes removed was significantly higher after RARC. All other histopathological outcomes, as well as the rate of early (< 30 days) and late postoperative complications, were comparable to ORC. At a median follow-up of 2 years, 29 (23%) and 41 (35%) patients developed disease recurrence (p = 0.05), while 20 (16%) and 37 (31%) died of bladder cancer (p = 0.005) after RARC and ORC, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: With proper patient selection, RARC was non-inferior to ORC throughout the surgeons' learning phase. Yet, the observed differences in oncologic outcomes suggest selection bias toward adoption of RARC for patients with more favorable disease characteristics.

Impact of hospital volume and surgeon volume on robot-assisted partial nephrectomy outcomes: a multicentre study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of hospital volume (HV) and surgeon volume (SV) on perioperative outcomes of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN). PATIENTS AND METHODS: All consecutive patients who underwent a RAPN from 2009 to 2015, at 11 institutions, were included in a retrospective study. To evaluate the impact of HV, we divided RAPN into four quartiles according to the caseload per year: low HV (<20/year), moderate HV (20-44/year), high HV (45-70/year), and very high HV (>70/year). The SV was also divided into four quartiles: low SV (<7/year), moderate SV (7-14/year), high SV (15-30/year), and very high SV (>30/year). The primary endpoint was the Trifecta defined as the following combination: no complications, warm ischaemia time (WIT) <25 min, and negative surgical margins. RESULTS: In total, 1 222 RAPN were included. The mean (sd) caseload per hospital per year was 44.9 (26.7) RAPNs and the mean (sd) caseload per surgeon per year was 19.2 (14.9) RAPNs. The Trifecta achievement rate increased significantly with SV (69.9% vs 72.8% vs 73% vs 86.1%; P < 0.001) and HV (60.3% vs 72.3% vs 86.2% vs 82.4%; P < 0.001). The positive surgical margins (PSM) rate (P = 0.02), length of hospital stay (LOS; P < 0.001), WIT (P < 0.001), and operative time (P < 0.001), all decreased significantly with increasing SV. The PSM rate (P = 0.02), LOS (P < 0.001), WIT (P < 0.001), operative time (P < 0.001), and major complications rate (P = 0.01), all decreased significantly with increasing HV. In multivariate analysis adjusting for HV and SV (model 3), HV remained the main predictive factor of Trifecta achievement (odds ratio [OR] 3.70 for very high vs low HV; P < 0.001), whereas SV was not associated with Trifecta achievement (OR 1.58 for very high vs low SV; P = 0.34). CONCLUSION: In this multicentre study HV and SV both greatly influenced RAPN perioperative outcomes, but HV appeared to have a greater impact than SV.

Long-term oncological outcomes after robotic partial nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma: a prospective multicentre study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed at reporting the long-term oncological outcomes of robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN) for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). METHODS: Data from all consecutive patients who underwent RAPN for RCC from July 2009 to January 2012 in three departments of urology were prospectively collected. Overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) and disease free-survival (DFS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Prognostic factors associated with CSS were sought in univariate analysis. The log-rank test was used for categorical variables and the Cox model for continuous variables. RESULTS: 110 patients were included with a median follow-up of 64.4 months [95% CI = (61.0-66.7)]. Median age was 61 years (29-83) with 62.7% of men and 37.3% of women. Median RENAL score was 6 (4-10) with elective indications accounting for 95% of cases. Out of 27 patients (24.5%) who experienced peri-operative complication, 12 patients (10.9%) had a major complication (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ 3). The TRIFECTA achievement rate was 52.7%. Three patients (2.7%) experienced local recurrence and seven patients (6.4%) progressed to a metastatic disease. 5-year OS, CSS, DFS were 94.9, 96.8, 86.4%, respectively. In univariate analysis, no pre/peri-operative characteristic was associated with DFS. No port-site metastasis was observed and there was one case of peritoneal carcinomatosis. CONCLUSION: In this multicenter series, long-term OS, DFS and CSS after RPN appeared comparable to large series of open partial nephrectomy, with no port-site metastasis and one case of peritoneal carcinomatosis.

Perioperative outcomes and complications of intracorporeal vs extracorporeal urinary diversion after robot-assisted radical cystectomy for bladder cancer: a real-life, multi-institutional french study.

PURPOSE: To compare perioperative outcomes and complications of extracorporeal (ECUD) vs intracorporeal urinary diversion (ICUD) in patients after undergoing robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) at five referral centers in France. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed our multi-institutional, prospectively-collected database to select patients undergoing RARC between 2010 and 2016 with at least 3 months of follow-up. At each center, the surgery was performed by one surgeon with extensive experience in robotic surgery and radical cystectomy but no prior experience in RARC. RESULTS: Overall, 108 patients were included. ECUD and ICUD were performed in 34 (31.5%) and 74 (68.5%) patients, respectively. Patient characteristics were comparable among the two groups, except for a higher proportion of patients with high surgical risk (ASA score ≥ 3) in the ECUD group. Ileal conduit and ileal neobladder were performed in 63/108 (58%) and 45/108 (42%) cases, respectively. Ileal conduit was performed more often with an extracorporeal approach while ileal neobladder with an intracorporeal approach. Overall, operative time, length of hospital stay, positive margin rate, and number of lymph nodes removed did not significantly differ among the two cohorts. Estimated blood loss and transfusion rates were significantly higher in the ECUD group. Rate of early (38.2 vs 47.3%, p = 0.4) and late (29.4 vs 18.9%, p = 0.2) surgical complications did not significantly differ between the ECUD and ICUD groups. Results were comparable in the subgroup analysis in the ileal conduit subpopulation. CONCLUSION: In our real-life, multi-institutional study, RARC with ICUD achieved perioperative outcomes and complication rates comparable to those of RARC with ECUD.

Off-Clamp versus On-Clamp Robotic Partial Nephrectomy: A Multicenter Match-Paired Case-Control Study.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of on-clamp and off-clamp robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The charts of all patients who underwent an RPN at 8 institutions between 2010 and 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients who underwent an off-clamp RPN were matched to on-clamp RPN in a 1-4 fashion according to the following variables: RENAL score, tumor size and surgeon's experience. Pre-, intra-, and postoperative data were compared between both groups. RESULTS: Among 525 RPN, 26 were performed off-clamp (5%). They were matched to 104 on-clamp RPN. The complications rate (15.5 vs. 7.7%, p = 0.53), major complications rate (4.9 vs. 3.9%; p = 0.82), and transfusions rate (0 vs. 4.9%; p = 0.58) did not differ significantly between the clamped and unclamped groups. Conversely, estimated blood loss was higher in the off-clamp group (266.4 vs. 284.6 mL, p = 0.048) and so was the rate of conversion to radical nephrectomy (0 vs. 7.7%, p = 0.04). Postoperative preservation of renal function was comparable in both groups. CONCLUSION: Off-clamp RPN is feasible for a small subgroup of renal tumors without increased risk of postoperative complications but at the cost of higher estimated blood loss and increased risk of conversion to radical nephrectomy.

Comparison of 1800 Robotic and Open Partial Nephrectomies for Renal Tumors.

BACKGROUND: Only a few studies have compared the outcomes of robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN) and open partial nephrectomy (OPN). This study aimed to compare perioperative and oncologic outcomes of RPN and OPN. METHODS: The data of all patients who underwent partial nephrectomy from 2006 to 2014 in six academic departments of urology were retrospectively collected. Perioperative outcomes were compared between OPN and RPN patients. Cancer-specific survival (CSS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. RESULTS: The study included 1800 patients: 937 who underwent RPN and 863 who underwent OPN. The patients in the robotic group had smaller tumors (33.1 vs. 39.9 mm; p < 0.001) but comparable RENAL scores (6.8 vs. 6.7; p = 0.37). The complication rate was higher in the OPN group (28.6 vs. 18 %; p < 0.001). The OPN patients had greater estimated blood loss (359.5 vs. 275 ml; p < 0.001) and more frequent hemorrhagic complications (12.1 vs. 6.9 %; p < 0.001). The robotic approach was associated with a shorter warm ischemia time (WIT 15.7 vs. 18.6 min; p < 0.001) and a shorter hospital of stay (4.7 vs. 10.1 days; p < 0.001). In the propensity score-weighted analysis, the inverse probability of treatment weighting adjusted odds ratio for the risk of complication after OPN versus RPN was 2.11 (95 % confidence interval, 1.53-2.91; p < 0.001). After a median postoperative follow-up period of 13 months for OPN and 39 months for RPN (p < 0.001), CSS and RFS were similar in the two groups. In the multivariate analysis, RPN showed an impact on the occurrence of a complication but had no effect on WIT or RFS. CONCLUSION: In this study, RPN was less morbid than OPN, with lower complications, less blood loss, and a shorter hospital of stay. The intermediate-term oncologic outcomes were similar in the two groups.

Impact of ischaemia time on renal function after partial nephrectomy: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of ischaemia on renal function after partial nephrectomy (PN). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature review was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria. In January 2015, the Medline and Embase databases were systematically searched using the protocol ('warm ischemia'[mesh] OR 'warm ischemia'[ti]) AND ('nephrectomy'[mesh] OR 'partial nephrectomy'[ti]). An updated search was performed in December 2015. Only studies based on a solitary kidney model or on a two-kidney model but with assessment of split renal function were included in this review. RESULTS: Of the 1119 studies identified, 969 abstracts were screened after duplicates were removed: 29 articles were finally included in this review, including nine studies that focused on patients with a solitary kidney. None of the nine studies adjusting for the amount of preserved parenchyma found a negative impact of warm ischaemia time on postoperative renal function, unless this was extended beyond a 25-min threshold. The quality and the quantity of preserved parenchyma appeared to be the main contributors to postoperative renal function. CONCLUSION: Currently, no evidence supports that limited ischaemia time (i.e. ≤25 min) has a higher risk of reducing renal function after PN compared to a 'zero ischaemia' technique. Several recent studies have suggested that prolonged warm ischaemia (>25-30 min) could cause an irreversible ischaemic insult to the surgically treated kidney.

Postoperative drainage does not prevent complications after robotic partial nephrectomy.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the impact of a postoperative drainage after RPN. METHODS: A retrospective multicentric study included RPN performed at eight centers between 2010 and 2014. Three centers stopped using postoperative drainage early in their RPN experience, whereas other institutions systematically left a drain. Preoperative characteristics, complication rates, need for postoperative imaging or procedure (surgical or radiological) and length of hospital stay were compared between the two groups [drainage (D) and no drainage (ND)]. RESULTS: Among 636 RPNs, 140 were done without drainage (22 %). In the ND group, surgeons were more experienced (>50 cases: 55.7 vs. 15.1 %; p < 0.0001), and tumors were more complex (RENAL score: 7.6 vs. 6.5; p < 0.0001). Complication rates were similar in both groups (21.9 vs. 20.2 %; p = 0.67). The omission of postoperative drainage did not increase requirement of CT scan (RR = 1.03; 95 % CI 0.64-1.67). Length of hospital stay was shorter in the ND group (4.5 vs. 5.5 days; p = 0.007). There were six urinary fistulas: four in the D group (0.8 %) and two in the ND group (1.4 %; p = 0.49). A CT scan was done to confirm the diagnosis of fistula in every case. In multivariate analysis, the omission of drainage was not associated with increased need of postoperative CT scan or major complications but was a predictor of decreased length of stay. CONCLUSION: The omission of postoperative drainage does not seem to increase the risk of postoperative complications and could safely be omitted after RPN.