Periprostatic fat thickness quantified by preoperative magnetic resonance imaging is an independent risk factor for upstaging from cT1/2 to pT3 in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the correlation between periprostatic fat thickness on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging and upstaging from cT1/2 to pT3 in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated data from men with cT1/2 prostate cancer treated with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy at Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, Nara, Japan, between March 2013 and December 2017. We calculated the periprostatic fat thickness and subcutaneous thickness from preoperative multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging. We divided the cohort into two groups for analysis. Group 1 included patients upstaged from clinical to pathological stage, whereas group 2 included those without upstaging. RESULTS: Data on 220 patients meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the analysis. A total of 36 patients were upstaged from clinical T1 or T2 to pathological T3, whereas 184 patients were not upstaged. The upstaging was associated with prostate volume, Gleason score, prostate-specific antigen density, periprostatic fat thickness, Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System score based on univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis showed prostate volume (P = 0.03, odds ratio 0.958, 95% confidence interval 0.921-0.996), Gleason score (P = 0.022, odds ratio 2.676, 95% confidence interval 1.153-6.213) and periprostatic fat thickness (P = 0.004, odds ratio 1.26, 95% confidence interval 1.079-1.471) as independent risk factors of upstaging. CONCLUSIONS: Prostate volume, Gleason score and periprostatic fat thickness on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging are significantly associated with and independent risk factors for upstaging from cT1/2 to pT3 in patients undergoing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

Urinary nerve growth factor can predict therapeutic efficacy in children with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis.

AIM: To determine the urinary levels of nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in children with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (MNE) and evaluate whether these factors can be used as biomarkers for the treatment outcome. METHODS: NGF and BDNF levels were measured and compared in 38 children (28 boys and 10 girls) with MNE and 25 children (18 boys and 7 girls) with no urinary symptoms were assessed. The mean ages in the patient and control groups were 9 and 10 years, respectively (P = .49). The patients were treated with either alarm or desmopressin therapy. RESULTS: The urinary NGF/creatinine and BDNF/creatinine ratios were significantly higher in the patient group than in the control group (P = .0003 and P = .0095, respectively). NGF and BDNF levels showed a significant positive correlation (P = .0020, r = 0.40). With respect to the degree of response, 19 patients (50%) showed complete response (CR) or partial response (PR), and 19 patients (50%) showed nonresponse (NR). The urinary NGF/creatinine and BDNF/creatinine ratios were significantly higher in the NR group than in the CR and PR groups (P = .0003 and P = .0003, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Urinary NGF/creatinine and BDNF/creatinine ratios were significantly higher in children with MNE than in healthy controls. Urinary NGF/creatinine can be predictive factors of a poor treatment outcome in children with MNE.

Clinical benefit of early treatment with bone-modifying agents for preventing skeletal-related events in patients with genitourinary cancer with bone metastasis: A multi-institutional retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical benefit of bone-modifying agents and identify the risk factors of skeletal-related events in patients with genitourinary cancer with newly diagnosed bone metastasis. METHODS: This was a multicenter retrospective study including a total of 650 patients with bone metastasis of the following cancer types: hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (n = 443), castration-resistant prostate cancer (n = 50), renal cell carcinoma (n = 80) and urothelial carcinoma (n = 77). Clinical factors at the time of diagnosis of bone metastasis were analyzed. Early treatment with bone-modifying agents was defined as follows: administration of bone-modifying agents before the development of skeletal-related events and within 6 months from the diagnosis of bone metastasis. RESULTS: During the follow-up period (median 19.0 months, interquartile range 6.0-43.8 months), skeletal-related events were reported in 88 (20%) patients with hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, 17 (34%) patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer, 58 (73%) patients with renal cell carcinoma and 34 (44%) patients with urothelial carcinoma. Early treatment with bone-modifying agents significantly prolonged the time to the first skeletal-related event in castration-resistant prostate cancer, renal cell carcinoma and urothelial carcinoma, but not in hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. Bone pain and elevated alkaline phosphatase levels were independent predictive risk factors of the first skeletal-related event. The subgroup analysis showed that early treatment with bone-modifying agents was associated with prolonged time to the first skeletal-related events in patients with bone pain or elevated alkaline phosphatase levels. CONCLUSIONS: Early treatment with bone-modifying agents should be considered, especially for patients with bone pain and elevated alkaline phosphatase levels, to prevent skeletal-related events in patients with genitourinary cancer with bone metastasis.

[Pubic Bone Osteomyelitis in Patient with Prostate Cancer after Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy; A Case Report].

A 72-old man had undergone robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer (cT2aN0M0). He was referred to us with a complaint of lower abdominal pain, pain at the bilateral inner thigh, gait disturbance and persistent pyuria three months after surgery. A pelvic MRI revealed inflammation of the pubic area, and pubic bone osteomyelitis was suspected. He was admitted and administered doripenem hydrate (DRPM) intravenously for 3 weeks. The symnptoms of gait disturbance, pain at the bilateral inner thigh, and lower abdominal pain were improved gradually. Levofloxacin hydrate (LVFX）wa s administered orally for 8 weeks subsequently. He has been followed and has had no recurrence of these symptoms.

[Migration of Hem-o-Lok Clips into the Urinary Bladder Used during Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy].

Recently, robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) has become a widely accepted surgical alternative for the treatment of prostate cancer. The intravesical migration of clips is a rare surgical complication of RALP. From March2013 to July 2018, 320 patients underwent RALP at our hospital. Migration of a Hem-o-Lok clip into the urinary bladder occurred in 4 of the 320 patients (1.3%). We analyzed these 4 patients in terms of subjective symptoms, intra- and post-operative findings, site of the migrated clip, and its treatment. The mean duration from RALP to the diagnosis was 13.8 months (2-26 months). The main symptoms due to migrated clips were : narrowed urinary stream, perineal pain, gross hematuria, and painful urination. In all cases, the size of the migrated clip was medium-large, and the events developed on the side contralateral to the first assistant. The clips were transurethrally removed using a Holmium-laser in 2 patients, and spontaneous excretion was observed in 1. The remaining patient has been asymptomatic and is being conservatively observed. In order to prevent the migration of clips used during RALP, the size of the clips and direction of the clip tail may be important. The first assistant should place the clips carefully, especially on the contralateral side.

[Iatrogenic Injuries of Urinary Tract : Outcomes of Surgical Repairs].

Iatrogenic urinary tract injuries are known complications of digestive and pelvic surgeries. We retrospectively reviewed 13 patients with bladder injuries and 16 patients with ureteral injuries requiring surgical repair or stent placement in our hospital between 2013 and 2016. Obstetric-gynecologic surgery accounted for 10 bladder injuries and 11 ureteral injuries on hysterectomy and Cesarean section. Digestive surgery led to 1 bladder injury and 5 ureteral injuries on colon resection, and urologic surgery resulted in 1 injury on biopsy of a retroperitoneal tumor. Regarding bladder injuries, 10 patients underwent cystorrhaphy, and 3 patients received indwelling of a transurethral Foley catheter alone. Concerning ureteral injuries, 7 patients underwent repair of the injured ureter (ureteroneocystostomy in 5, and ureteroureterostomy in 2), and 9 patients received ureteral stent placement after postoperative retrograde urography. Repair failure was defined when urine leakage, urinary fistula, or urinary stricture requiring ureteral stent placement still existed at 90 days after the repair treatment. The bladder injuries in all 13 cases were successfully repaired. The ureteral injury treatments in 7 out of 16 patients (43.8%) were judged as being unsuccessful because of the condition requiring a ureteral stent at 90 days. There was a correlation between the delayed diagnosis of ureteral injury and unsuccessful repair. The present study showed that the prompt identification of urinary tract injuries, especially ureteral injuries, can result in decreased morbidity andsubsequently improved outcomes.

[Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy for Patient with Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia: A Case Report].

A 69-year-old man who had a history of several nasal hemorrhages and transfusions presented with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. He was referred to the previous hospital due to the elevation of prostate specific antigen (PSA) to 17.2 ng/ml, and was diagnosed with prostate cancer (cT3aN0M0, Gleason 4 + 5). He was referred to our hospital for the treatment of prostate cancer. Contrast lung computed tomography and brain magnetic resonance imaging did not show arteriovenous fistula in either the lung or brain. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed capillary dilatations in the gastric mucosa. Robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy with Trendelenburg position under general anesthesia was performed. Tracheal intubation was made using bronchofiberscopy. A gastric tube was not inserted. Intra- and postoperative course was uneventful, and there has been no elevation of PSA during the eight months followed.

[Bladder Rupture during Intravesical BCG Therapy : A Case Report].

A 69-year-old man received transurethral resection (TUR) ofbladder tumor. The histopathological diagnosis was urothelial carcinoma, high grade, pT1＋pTis. The surgical specimens obtained by second TUR showed no residual malignancy histopathologically. Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) instillation therapy was initiated 2 months after the second TUR. He complained of lower abdominal pain and painful urination on the day following the second instillation of BCG. Computed tomography and cystography demonstrated rupture ofthe urinary bladder. During 2 weeks ofconservative treatment, the symptoms persisted. Then, open repair ofthe bladder was performed. Intravesical BCG therapy has been a widely accepted treatment for bladder cancer with high grade Ta and T1, and carcinoma in situ. In the present case, thinning ofthe bladder wall, delayed wound healing caused by 2 TURs, and abdominal pressure may have been the factors leading to the bladder rupture in addition to inflammation of the bladder due to BCG instillation. Although bladder rupture caused by intravesical BCG therapy has not been reported, we must be aware ofthe possibility ofthis rare condition, especially after 2 consecutive TURs.

[Acute Urinary Retention Caused by Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis : A Case Report].

An 11-year-old boy was referred to our department with the chief complaint of acute urinary retention. He had had a history of viral enteritis a few days before the onset of dysuria. He presented with a slight fever, mild headache and weakness of the extremities. A cerebrospinal fluid examination showed the elevation of cell number (cell number : 158/3, polynuclear cells : 29/3, and mononuclear cells : 129/3). Although spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) did not show abnormal findings, fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) image of the brain MRI showed a high signal area on the cerebral cortex. Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) was suspected from the clinical course, the cerebrospinal fluid examination, and brain MRI findings. A urethral catheter was indwelled for urinary retention, and steroid pulse therapy was promptly started. After removal of the urethral catheter seven days after the therapy initiation, normal urination without residual urine was observed. Findings of a cerebrospinal fluid test and brain MRI also showed improvement.

[Ureteral Cancer Developing in Retrocaval Ureter : A Case Report].

Ureteral cancer in the retrocaval ureter is rare. We herein report a patient with this condition laparoscopically treated. A 69-year-old man was referred to us because of right ureteral cancer diagnosed during ureteroscopic surgery for a ureteral calculus. Histological diagnosis of the ureteroscopically biopsied material was non-invasive papillary urothelial carcinoma, low grade (G2). Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a retrocaval ureter : a double J stent placed during ureteroscopy assisted the diagnosis. The patient underwent retroperitoneoscopic complete nephroureterectomy on the right side. Sufficient separation of the right ureter and the inferior vena cava under retroperitoneoscopic procedures facilitated en bloc extirpation of the kidney and ureter with a minimal lower abdominal incision. The surgical procedures for ureteral cancer in the retrocaval ureter, should be preoperatively considered with care.

[Laparoscopic Non-Ischemic Partial Nephrectomy Using a Microwave Tissue Coagulator : A Single-Institutional Study].

We retrospectively investigated the surgical outcomes of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), perioperative complications, and residual renal function in patients receiving laparoscopic non-ischemic partial nephrectomy using a microwave tissue coagulator (MTC). Between January 2002 and December 2015, laparoscopic non-ischemic partial nephrectomy using MTC was performed in 49 patients. The histological diagnosis was RCC in 38 patients, angiomyolipoma in 4, oncocytoma in 2, and others in 5. A histologicallyproven positive surgical margin was observed in 1 (2.0%). Postoperative urine leakage occurred in 1, and it was treated conservatively. The mean follow-up period was 32.0 months. Although there was no patient who died of RCC, local recurrence occurred in 2 patients (4.1%) during the follow-up period. One of these 2 patients had a positive surgical margin. Deterioration of the residual renal function was not observed. Laparoscopic non-ischemic partial nephrectomy using MTC was safe and useful in terms of cancer control and preservation of renal function.

[A Case of Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma 40 Years after Radiation Therapy].

Here, we report a case of papillary renal cell carcinoma in a 47-year-old woman. In 1970 (at 5 years old), she was diagnosed with Wilms tumor in her right kidney, and underwent surgery. However, nephrectomy was not possible. Consequently, she received radiation therapy (61. 5 Gy) at the former hospital. Thereafter, the patient regularly visited her physician and had no further problems. In 1998 (at 33 years old), blood was detected in her urine, and renal cell carcinoma was suspected. A computed tomography (CT)-guided biopsy was performed, but tissue collection was difficult due to calcification of the renal parenchyma after radiation treatment. The patient was followed closely without treatment. Since 2003, the patient on her own volition stopped visiting the hospital. Her symptoms gradually worsened and in October 2012 (at 47 years old), she was admitted to our hospital. Based on the imaging findings, a right renal pelvic tumor was suspected. Despite various examinations, including retrograde pyelography, a definitive diagnosis could not be made. Following detailed examinations, we observed that the tumor had developed bone metastases. We started chemotherapy consisting of gemcitabine and cisplatin, but the tumor was resistant to the treatment. Renal cell carcinoma was suspected based on the biopsy results for bone metastasis, and consequently, targeted therapy (pazopanib) was started. However, the patient died in August 2014 (at 49 years old) because of progression of the disease. An autopsy revealed the definitive diagnosis to be papillary renal cell carcinoma type 2.

Molecular mechanism of formation and destruction of a pseudo­capsule in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

The process and molecular mechanisms underlying the formation and destruction of a pseudo-capsule (PC) in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) are poorly understood. In the present study, the PCs of surgical specimens from primary tumors and metastatic lesions in 169 patients with ccRCC, and carcinogen-induced ccRCC rat models were semi-quantified using the invasion of PC (i-Cap) score system. This was based on the relationship among the tumor, PC and adjacent normal tissue (NT) as follows: i-Cap 0, tumor has no PC and does not invade NT; i-Cap 1, tumor has a complete PC and does not invade into the PC; i-Cap 2, tumor with focal absences in the PC, which partially invades the PC but not completely through the PC; i-Cap 3, tumor crosses the PC and invades the NT; i-Cap 4, tumor directly invades the NT without a PC. The study suggested that PC formation was not observed without physical compression, and also revealed that tumor invasion into the PC was a prognostic factor for postoperative oncological outcomes. Higher i-Cap, Fuhrman grade and tumor size were independent poor prognostic factors for postoperative disease-free survival. mRNA expression arrays generated from carcinogen-induced ccRCC rat models were used to explore genes potentially associated with the formation and destruction of a PC. Subsequently, human ccRCC specimens were validated for four genes identified via expression array; the results revealed that collagen type 4A2, matrix metalloproteinase-7 and l-selectin were upregulated alongside the progression of i-Cap score. Conversely, endoglin was downregulated. In conclusion, the present study provides insights into the formation and destruction of a PC, and the results may aid the treatment and management of patients with ccRCC.

Depth of invasion to the bladder wall as a prognostic factor and its association with circulating cell-free DNA levels in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Background: Radical cystectomy (RC) is the standard surgical treatment for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, but the prognosis is not favorable, and new prognostic factors need to be discovered. We investigated the potential of depth of invasion (DOI) as a prognostic factor in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer who underwent RC. Furthermore, we examined the association between preoperative levels of circulating cell-free DNA and DOI. Materials and methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent RC between January 2007 and December 2017; those who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy were excluded. Depth of invasion was measured using hematoxylin-eosin-stained RC specimens. Results: Of the 121 patients selected, 41 (33.9%) were eligible for analysis. The median follow-up period was 14 months and mean DOI was 17 mm (range, 2-75 mm). Long DOI (>17 mm) was significantly associated with shorter progression-free survival (hazard ratio, 14.5; 95% confidence interval, 3.9-53.97, p < 0.0001) and cancer-specific survival (hazard ratio, 18.97; 95% confidence interval, 4.04-88.99, p = 0.0002) compared with short DOI. Multivariate analysis revealed that DOI was an independent risk factor for cancer-specific survival. The levels of circulating cell-free DNA were significantly higher in patients with a longer DOI than in those with short DOI (65 vs. 20 ng/mL, respectively; p = 0.028). Conclusions: Depth of invasion predicted with levels of circulating cell-free DNA and thus could be a useful prognostic factor.

Severe subcutaneous emphysema caused by small injury to the abdominal wall during robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.

A 67-year-old man underwent RARP in the Trendelenburg position with pneumoperitoneum at 12 mmHg. Gradual elevation of End-tidal CO2(EtCO2) began, and extensive subcutaneous emphysema was recognized when EtCO2 reached 58 mmHg. After interruption of pneumoperitoneum, careful observation of the surgical field led to detect an injury of the abdominal wall of 1 cm in length, suggesting the cause of severe subcutaneous emphysema. The injury was repaired and RARP was terminated without any cardiovascular problems. Attention should be paid that even minor abdominal wall injury could lead to severe subcutaneous emphysema which may cause respiratory or cardiovascular problems during laparoscopic surgeries.

Clinical Significance of the Highest Regional Bone Scan Index in Patients with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Purpose: This study evaluated the clinical utility of the highest bone scan index (BSI), among other BSIs, for each bone metastatic site in patients with bone metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (bmCRPC). Methods: Thirty patients, diagnosed with bmCRPC by bone scintigraphy, were included. Total BSI, the number of hot spots, and regional BSI on each hot spot from bone scintigraphy at diagnosis with bmCRPC were evaluated by VSBONE BSI®. Highest regional BSI was defined as the highest value among regional BSIs on each hot spot in each patient. Related factors to overall survival and skeletal-related events (SREs) were evaluated using the Cox proportional-hazards model. Results: The median follow-up time from diagnosis with bmCRPC was 29.0 months. During this time, 24 patients died, of which 22 patients died from prostate cancer. On univariate analysis, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) [Hazard ratio (HR): 5.96, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.05-17.3] and highest regional BSI (HR: 2.01, 95% CI: 1.17-7.05) had significant correlation with overall survival. On multivariate analysis, ALP (HR: 4.79, 95% CI: 1.61-14.2) had significant correlation with overall survival. SREs were found in eight patients. Only the highest regional BSI (HR: 9.99, 95% CI: 2.46-40.6) significantly correlated with SREs on univariate analysis. Conclusion: Highest regional BSI may provide important information regarding prognosis and SREs in patients with bmCRPC.

Organ-Specific and Mixed Responses to Pembrolizumab in Patients with Unresectable or Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

To investigate the organ-specific response and clinical outcomes of mixed responses (MRs) to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (ur/mUC), we retrospectively analyzed 136 patients who received pembrolizumab. The total objective response rate (ORR) and organ-specific ORR were determined for each lesion according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 as follows: (i) complete response (CR), (ii) partial response (PR), (iii) stable disease (SD), and (iv) progressive disease (PD). Most of the organ-specific ORR was 30−40%, but bone metastasis was only 5%. There was a significant difference in overall survival (OS) between responders and non-responders with locally advanced lesions and lymph node, lung, or liver metastases (HR 9.02 (3.63−22.4) p < 0.0001; HR 3.63 (1.97−6.69), p < 0.0001; HR 2.75 (1.35−5.59), p = 0.0053; and HR 3.17 (1.00−10.0), p = 0.049, respectively). MR was defined as occurring when PD happened in one lesion plus either CR or PR occurred in another lesion simultaneously, and 12 cases were applicable. MR was significantly associated with a poorer prognosis than that of the responder group (CR or PR; HR 0.09 (0.02−0.35), p = 0.004). Patients with bone metastases benefitted less. Care may be needed to treat patients with MR as well as patients with pure PD. Further studies should be conducted in the future.

External validation of a genitourinary cancer-specific prognostic scoring system to predict survival for patients with bone metastasis (modified B-FOM scoring model): Comparison with other scoring models in terms of accuracy.

OBJECTIVE: We previously developed genitourinary (GU) cancer-specific scoring system for prediction of survival in patients with bone metastasis (the Bone-Fujimoto-Owari-Miyake [B-FOM] scoring model) based on five prognostic factors: the type of primary tumor (prostate cancer (PCa) vs renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and PCa vs urothelial carcinoma (UC)), poor performance status (PS), visceral metastasis, high Glasgow-prognostic score (GPS), elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR). The aim of this study was to externally validate and further improve the performance of the B-FOM score. METHODS: The external validation cohort comprised 309 patients with GU cancer with bone metastasis from multiple institutions. Clinical factors were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier method and COX regression hazard model. Performance of a modified B-FOM score was compared to that of other scoring models by the Kaplan-Meier method and the area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS: The median follow-up period of development and validation cohort were 25 and 17 months, respectively. Kaplan-Meier curve demonstrated that the type of primary tumor (RCC and UC vs PCa), poor PS, presence of visceral metastasis, high GPS, elevated NLR were significantly associated with shorter cancer-specific survival. Risk groups were successfully stratified by the modified B-FOM score classification. Moreover, the AUC of the modified B-FOM scoring model for predicting mortality at 6, 12, and 24 months were 0.895, 0.856, and 0.815, respectively, which were the highest among evaluated models. CONCLUSIONS: The B-FOM scoring model is a simple and accurate prediction tool. By using this scoring model at the time of the diagnosis of bone metastasis in patients with GU cancers, an individualized optimal treatment strategy can be selected.

Simple suturing of the bladder neck muscle layer at the vesicourethral anastomosis site to the dorsal vein complex during anterior reconstruction led to a better postoperative urinary continence after robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVES: To elucidate whether a modified technique for anterior reconstruction could improve urinary continence after robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP). METHODS: Among 325 consecutive patients who underwent RALP at our hospital, 297 patients were included in this retrospective study, who had complete records including the status of postoperative urinary continence. Among these 297 patients, 194 underwent anterior reconstruction by suturing the lateral bladder wall to the arcus tendineus of the pectineal fascia without fixation of the vesicourethral anastomosis site to the dorsal vein complex (DVC) (lateral-suture group). In the remaining 103 patients, simple suturing of the bladder neck muscle layer at the vesicourethral anastomosis site with DVC to immobilize the vesicourethral anastomosis site (immobilized group) was performed. Those who did not required a pad was defined as continent. RESULTS: Operative and console times were significantly shorter in the immobilized group (242 vs. 268 min; p = 0.03, and 174 vs. 203 min; p = 0.009, respectively). Although there was no significant difference between the groups regarding the recovery of urinary continence within 3 months after RALP (21 vs. 22% at 1 month; p = 0.77, and 54 vs. 60% at 3 months; p = 0.33, respectively), more patients achieved urinary continence in the immobilized group than lateral-suture group after 6 months (71 vs. 83% at 6 months; p = 0.03 and 82 vs. 96% at 12 months; p = 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Simple suture of the bladder neck muscle layer at the vesicourethral anastomosis site to DVC led to a better urinary continence status 6 months or later after RALP.