Calza and colleagues from Orbassano-Torino, Italy conducted a randomized prospective trial between pure and robotic assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.
100 patients were randomized into the two groups and compared using visual analog pain scales for diffuse or general pain, incidental or incisional pain, and referred or shoulder pain at 1 to 24 hours post-operative. Additionally they reviewed post-operative analgesia usage. Their results showed that although both techniques had low overall pain scores, the robotic assisted radical prostatectomy had significantly less general and incisional pain, while there was no significant difference in referred pain. Their study also showed decreased analgesic use with robotic surgery (p<.001) up to 48 hours post-operative.
This study suggests that robotic prostate surgery has benefits regarding post-operative pain, even when compared with traditional laparoscopy. The reason for this is unclear as the number and position of the trocars is similar in each technique.
Presented by Eliana Calza, et al. at the American Urological Association (AUA) Annual Meeting - May 14 - 19, 2011 - Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC USA
Reported for UroToday by Michael Louie, MD, Department of Urology, University of California, Irvine.
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