Patient experience and satisfaction after same-day discharge radical prostatectomy using a personalized, digital perioperative programme.

PURPOSE: To assess the patient experience and satisfaction after the implementation in routine of a personalized, digital programme before and after same-day discharge (SDD) robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). METHODS: The study is a pre/post-interventional, multi-surgeon, unicentre, prospective study. All consecutive patients undergoing SDD RARP were included during a 6-month period. After a pre-interventional assessment of the satisfaction rate (n = 26), all patients (n = 46) were introduced to the Betty. Care platform and followed the BETTY COACHING programme which included a specific radical prostatectomy module. The primary endpoint was patient satisfaction 6 weeks after SDD RARP. Secondary endpoints were hospital stay, readmission and complications rates, unplanned visits, and remote monitoring data. RESULTS: Median age and PSA were 66 years and 7.0 ng/ml. Lymph node-dissection and nerve-sparing procedures were performed in 41.3 and 87.0% of patients, respectively. Median operative time and blood loss were 80 min and 150 ml, respectively. The 90-day rates of unplanned visits, readmission and complications were improved after the digital tool implementation (2.2, 2.2, and 8.7%, respectively). Mean satisfaction score was 9.6 out of 10 (8.0 before implementation). Median duration of pain was 2 days after discharge, with median pain intensity of 2/10. Median duration of daily active use of remote monitoring was 34 days. The urinary continence rate was 91.3% 6 weeks after surgery in the postinterventional cohort. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of a personalized, surgery-specific, digital programme combining prehabilitation, patient education, rehabilitation, patient-reported outcome measurement and remote monitoring, improves patient experience and satisfaction and could help promoting early discharge even after a major surgery.

A prehabilitation programme implemented before robot-assisted radical prostatectomy improves peri-operative outcomes and continence recovery.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of a routine, on-site, 1-day prehabilitation (PreHab) programme on peri-operative and continence recovery after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: All 303 consecutive RARPs performed between March 2018 and February 2020 since the routine implementation of PreHab were included in our study. PreHab was carried out according to the availability of the 1-day programme before the planned date of surgery (two sessions per month including four patients per session). The PreHab programme was implemented in 165 patients (54.5%). The primary endpoint was continence recovery, strictly defined as no safety pad use at 1 and 6 months. Secondary endpoints were peri-operative variables (blood loss, operating time, length of stay, transfusion, complications, and readmission rates). Comparisons were made according to whether the PreHab pathway was applied or not (PreHab+ vs PreHab-) in univariable and multivariable models. RESULTS: The PreHab pathway was implemented for a stable proportion of patients over time (54.5%). The two cohorts were comparable in terms of preoperative and pathological features (P > 0.05). Length of stay was significantly shorter in the PreHab+ group (1.3 vs 1.9 days; P = 0.001). There was a trend towards fewer complications in the PreHab+ group (P = 0.061). Use of the PreHab pathway was independently correlated with higher continence rates at 1 month (37% vs 60%; P < 0.001) and 6 months (67.4% vs 87.3%; P < 0.001), even after controlling for age, body mass index, prostate volume, type of apical reconstruction, nerve-sparing surgery and lymph node dissection. The main limitation of the study was the absence of randomization. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience demonstrates that the PreHab programme is the major predictor of improved peri-operative outcomes and continence recovery after RARP, with sustainable benefits 6 months after surgery.

Same-day discharge surgery for robot-assisted radical prostatectomy in the era of ERAS and prehabilitation pathways: a contemporary, comparative, feasibility study.

PURPOSE: To assess the feasibility of same-day discharge (SDD) after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) in the context of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) and prehabilitation pathways. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For 1 year, we prospectively assessed the feasibility of SDD RARP in the context of ERAS and prehabilitation pathways. SDD patients were compared to overnight patients operated during the same period by the same surgeon. Primary outcomes were complication and 90-day readmission rates. RESULTS: Of the overall cohort, 51.9% were discharged home the day of surgery. Both cohorts were comparable in terms of pre-operative and intra-operative characteristics. There was a not significant trend towards shorter operative time in the SDD cohort (93.7 versus 105.2 min, p = 0.077). Mean blood loss was comparable between both cohorts. No significant difference in terms of complication (p = 0.606; 16.0% versus 11.1%) and readmission rates (< 4%) was noted. There was a not significant trend towards faster continence recovery for patients included in the SDD cohort, compared with those in the inpatient cohort. The overall cost per patient was reduced by 10.8% with SDD surgery with no increased cost due to emergency visits or readmissions CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of SDD RARP in the context of ERAS and prehabilitation pathways is safe, reduces cost and does not compromise the post-operative course. Proportion of patients undergoing SDD continuously increased to reach 60% of the surgeon cohort at the end of the study period. The trend suggesting a faster continence recovery after SDD has to be confirmed in a larger cohort.

The prognostic value of high-grade prostate cancer pattern on MRI-targeted biopsies: predictors for downgrading and importance of concomitant systematic biopsies.

PURPOSE: To assess the proportion and risk factors for downgrading and reclassification to favorable disease in patients having high-grade (HG) prostate cancer (PCa) pattern on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-targeted-biopsy (TB). METHODS: From a radical prostatectomy (RP) cohort, we included patients with pre-biopsy positive MRI and HG [defined by Grade Group (GG) ≥ 3] PCa on MRI-TB. All patients also underwent concomitant systematic biopsy (SB). The main endpoints were the rates of downgrading to GG2, overall downgrading, favorable disease (pT2 and GG2) on RP specimens, and biochemical recurrence-free-survival (RFS). We studied the correlations between HG on concomitant SB, final pathological outcomes and biochemical RFS curves. RESULTS: Overall downgrading, downgrading to GG2 disease and favorable disease were noted in 36.2%, 24.1%, and 15.4% respectively. HG on concomitant SB was correlated with pT3-4 disease (p < 0.001), pN1 disease (p < 0.001), positive surgical margins (p = 0.043), PSA recurrence (p = 0.003). In multivariable analysis, the presence of GG4-5 on TB (p = 0.013; OR 0.263) and the presence of HG on concomitant SB (p = 0.010; OR 0.269) were negatively and independently correlated with the risk of downgrading to GG2. The presence of HG on concomitant SB independently predicted RFS with a hazard ratio of 2.173 (p = 0.049; 95% CI 1.005-4.697). CONCLUSIONS: Our data shows that a limited HG restricted to TB can often be associated with a favorable grade in almost a quarter of the cases and downgraded in almost half of the cases. Detailed SB features, mainly the presence of HG on concomitant SB, was associated with a more accurate pathology and oncologic outcomes prediction, pleading for the maintenance of SB in MRI-positive patients.

A combination of enhanced recovery after surgery and prehabilitation pathways improves perioperative outcomes and costs for robotic radical prostatectomy.

BACKGROUND: An enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathway has shown benefit in oncologic surgery. However, literature is scarce regarding the impact of this pathway, alone or combined with prehabilitation (PreHab) programs, on outcomes after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). METHODS: Included in this study were 507 consecutive patients undergoing RARP from 2014 to 2019. The primary endpoint was duration of hospital stay. Secondary outcomes included intraoperative blood loss, operative duration, readmission rate, and overall costs. Univariate and multivariate comparisons were performed according to the ERAS and PreHab program status. RESULTS: ERAS patients had shorter hospital stays (P < .001), reduced operative times (P < .001), and decreased blood loss (P < .001) in comparison with non-ERAS patients. Shorter hospital stays were not associated with an increased readmission rate (7.9% [stable over time]; P = .757). Patients from an ERAS-/PreHab- group had a longer hospital stay (4.7 days) than those from an ERAS+/PreHab- group (3.5 days) and those from an ERAS+/PreHab+ group (1.6 days; P < .001). In a multivariate analysis, operative time and perioperative pathway (odds ratio for ERAS, 0.144; P < .001; odds ratio for ERAS and PreHab, 0.025; P < .001) were independently predictive for a prolonged length of stay (P < .001). Costs significantly decreased when ERAS and PreHab pathways were combined. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of ERAS and PreHab programs significantly changes the postoperative course of patients and may synergistically optimize RARP outcomes. The combination of these pathways improves patient recovery and is associated with reduced lengths of stay, blood loss, operative times, and costs without an increase in the postdischarge readmission rate.

Decreased accuracy of the prostate cancer EAU risk group classification in the era of imaging-guided diagnostic pathway: proposal for a new classification based on MRI-targeted biopsies and early oncologic outcomes after surgery.

PURPOSE: To assess the performance of EAU risk classification in PCa patients according to the biopsy pathway (standard versus MRI guided) and to develop a new, more accurate, targeted biopsy (TB)-based classification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 1345 patients consecutively operated by radical prostatectomy (RP) since 2014, when MRI and TB were introduced in the diagnostic pathway. Patients underwent systematic biopsy (SB) only (n = 819) or SB and TB (n = 526) prior to RP during the same time period. Pathological and biochemical outcomes were compared between PCa men undergoing SB (SB cohort) and a combination of TB and SB (TB cohort). Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models were used to assess biochemical recurrence-free survival (RFS). RESULTS: Both cohorts were comparable regarding final pathology and RFS (p = 0.538). The EAU risk classification accurately predicted outcomes in SB cohort, but did not significantly separate low from intermediate risk in TB cohort (p = 0.791). In TB cohort, the new proposed three-group risk classification significantly improved the recurrence risk prediction compared with the EAU risk classification: HR 4 (versus HR 1.2, p = 0.009) for intermediate, and HR 15 (versus HR 6.5, p < 0.001) in high-risk groups, respectively. A fourth group defining very high-risk cases (≥ T2c clinical stage or grade group 5) was also proposed. CONCLUSIONS: The new classification integrating TB findings we propose meaningfully improves the recurrence prediction after surgery in patients undergoing a TB-based diagnostic pathway, compared with standard EAU risk classification which is still relevant for patients undergoing only SB. External validation is needed.

Performance of systematic, MRI-targeted biopsies alone or in combination for the prediction of unfavourable disease in MRI-positive low-risk prostate cancer patients eligible for active surveillance.

PURPOSE: To assess the upstaging/upgrading rates of low-risk prostate cancer (PCa) according to the biopsy scheme used (systematic (SB), targeted biopsies (TB), or both) in the setting of positive pre-biopsy MRI. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We included 143 consecutive men fulfilling the Toronto University active surveillance (AS) criteria who underwent a pre-biopsy positive MRI, a combination of SB and software-based fusion TB, and a radical prostatectomy, in two expert centres. The primary endpoints were the pathological upgrading and upstaging rates. Overall unfavourable disease (OUD) was defined by any pT3-4 and/or pN1 and/or ≥ GG 3. RESULTS: Using TB alone would have missed 21.7% of cancers including 16.7% of ≥ GG 3. The use of TB was significantly associated with a lower risk of ≥ Grade Group (GG) 3 disease (p < 0.006) in RP specimens. Combination of SB and TB lowered this risk by 39%, compared with TB alone. The biopsy scheme did not affect the upstaging rates which were substantial even in case of combination scheme (from 37 to 46%). OUD was detected in approximately 50% of cases. The presence of high grade on TB was the only independent predictive factor for both ≥ GG 2 (p = 0.015) and ≥ GG 3 (p = 0.023) in RP specimens. CONCLUSIONS: High grade on TB biopsies represented the major predictor of upgrading. Combination of SB and TB better defined the sub-group of patients having the lowest risk of reclassification, compared with TB or SB alone. The risk of non-organ-confined disease remained high, and could not be accurately predicted by MRI or systematic/targeted biopsy features.

Active surveillance eligibility of MRI-positive patients with grade group 2 prostate cancer: a pathological study.

PURPOSE: To assess the final pathology risk in MRI-positive grade group (GG) 2 prostate cancer (PCa) patients undergoing targeted (TB) and systematic (SB) biopsies, and thereby, the possibility of active surveillance (AS) in this population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We included 242 consecutive men diagnosed with GG2 PCa by a combination of SB and software-based fusion TB undergoing a radical prostatectomy (RP). The primary endpoints were the pathological findings in RP specimens, including favourable disease which was defined by a pT2 and GG1-2 disease. RESULTS: The rate of upgrading was 33% including 3% of GG 4-5 disease. MRI lesion size (p = 0.038) and tumor length per core (p < 0.001) were significantly lower in case of favourable pathology. Only 34.2% of not organ-confined disease was reported when only SB were positive, compared with 45.7% and 57.1% when GG2 was detected on TB only and on TB plus SB, respectively (p = 0.035). The number of positive cores on SB was significantly higher in not organ-confined disease (4.3 versus 2.9; p = 0.005). The risk of not organ-confined disease was only 20.8% in men who had a PSAD ≤ 0.20 ng/ml/gr, 1-2 positive biopsies and a maximal tumor length ≤ 6 mm per core, compared with 52.3% in men who did not fulfil all these criteria (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: This study identified clinical, imaging, and pathological factors that were significantly associated with the final pathology risk. In case of positive MRI followed by TB showing GG2, AS could be offered in patients having a PSAD ≤ 0.20, a tumor length ≤ 6 mm and 1-2 positive cores.

Added Value of Concomitant Systematic and Fusion Targeted Biopsies for Grade Group Prediction Based on Radical Prostatectomy Final Pathology on Positive Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

PURPOSE: We assessed the added value of concomitant systematic biopsy for final grade group prediction in patients with positive magnetic resonance imaging who were undergoing targeted biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Included in study were 478 consecutive patients with prebiopsy positive multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging and a greater than 10-core systematic biopsy combined with fusion targeted biopsy who underwent radical prostatectomy. The primary end point was the grade group concordance between biopsy and radical prostatectomy pathology according to the biopsy technique. Clinical and biological factors associated with the performance of systematic biopsy were analyzed. RESULTS: Adding systematic biopsy to targeted biopsy modified the d'Amico risk classification toward more intermediate and high risk in 7.8% of cases, mainly from low to intermediate risk with low risk prostate cancer on targeted biopsy in 44.3%. This reclassification was significantly higher in patients with lower prostate specific antigen and with prostate specific antigen density less than 0.20 ng/ml/gm (11.7% vs 2.4%, p <0.001). The concordance rate between biopsy pathology and radical prostatectomy pathology significantly differed between targeted biopsy and targeted biopsy plus systematic biopsy (45.2% and 51.7%, respectively). The upgrading rate in radical prostatectomy specimens decreased by 22% when systematic biopsy was added to targeted biopsy. Patients in whom systematic biopsy did not modify grading were more likely to have pT3-4 and/or pN1 disease on final pathology (56.9% vs 38.3%, p=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Grading concordance between biopsy pathology and radical prostatectomy pathology was improved by adding systematic biopsy in all patient subgroups. Patients with prostate specific antigen density less than 0.20 ng/ml/gm benefited the most from this combined biopsy strategy. Systematic biopsy reclassified a nonnegligible number of cases toward a higher risk category, mainly the low risk cases. Thus, systematic biopsy could modify treatment decision making.

From an On-site Program to a Mobile App for Prehabilitation and Rehabilitation for Robotic Radical Prostatectomy: Lessons Learned from 5 Years of Experience, the COVID-19 Outbreak, and Comparison with Nationwide Data.

Prehabilitation programs play a key role in optimizing patient experiences and outcomes after surgery. However, there are few data on robot-assisted radical prostatectomy, and prehabilitation programs may be challenging to launch and maintain over time for every patient. Here we report our 5-yr experience of an on-site prehabilitation program and its impact on patient and hospital outcomes. During the study period, we observed continuous improvements in the same-day discharge rate (from 0% to 26.4%), hospital stay (from 3 to 0.9. d), costs (-63%), days out of hospital within 30 d after surgery in our center, and in comparison to contemporary nationwide data. However, despite these advantages, maintenance and diffusion of this program could be challenging owing to the absence of incentive support and lack of human resources. This led us to develop two free-access mobile apps, available on the app stores for both patients and surgeons, that include checklists, remote monitoring, and multiple educational materials aimed at simplifying the widespread use of optimized perioperative pathways. PATIENT SUMMARY: We found that a prehabilitation program before surgery can help in optimizing patient outcomes after robot-assisted removal of the prostate. We translated this program into a mobile app available for every patient.