Robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy: The technique

Robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) using the da Vinci® surgical platform has become very popular in recent years, accounting for over 70 % of all radical prostatectomies performed in the United States in 2008 [1, 2]. Its postulated advantages over the conventional open approach include better intraoperative dexterity and visualization of periprostatic tissue architecture with up to 12-fold optical magnification for the surgeon, while patients experience less intraoperative blood loss, less painful recovery, and shorter hospital stays [3]. However, despite innovations in surgical techniques, surgeons are still faced with the daily dilemma of balancing complete cancer clearance while striving for potency preservation during surgery. In several series, 20-50 % of patients still remain impotent at 1 year following nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy (RP) [4-6].