Robotic-Assisted Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection in the Management of High-Risk Bladder Cancer

Pelvic lymphadenectomy at time of radical cystectomy remains an essential component in the surgical management of patients with high-risk urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. Open techniques have long been considered the “gold standard” surgical approach, however the maturation of minimally invasive techniques have resulted in increasing utilization of robotic surgery in the treatment of this disease. We herein describe the rationale and the technical steps of the robotic-assisted pelvic lymphadenectomy.