Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: initial cases at Okayama University Hospital.

We performed laparoscopic prostatectomy in seven cases with organ-confined prostate cancer. In 6 cases, the surgery was completed successfully and the mean operative time was 424 min. Volume of blood loss was 200 to 3,200 ml and catheterization lasted 6 to 37 days. No major complications were observed in 6 of the cases. In one case, open surgical conversion was necessary mainly due to a bladder injury. Although these were the first cases of laparoscopic prostatectomy in our institution, the technical difficulty and complexity of the surgery were moderate. We believe that laparoscopic radical prostatectomy will become a standard option for the treatment of organ-confined prostate cancer.