Korean J Urol.  2010 Jan;51(1):30-33.

Learning Curve for Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy for Pathologic T2 Disease

• Lee JW
• Jeong WJ
• Park SY
• Loreazo EI
• Oh CK
• Rha KH

Abstract

PURPOSE
To investigate the learning curve for robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) for pathologic T2 disease, we examined differences in perioperative outcomes according to time period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between July 2005 and June 2008, a total of 307 consecutive patients underwent RALP for prostate cancer and 205 patients had pathologic T2 disease. Patients were grouped into 6-month time periods. We collected and examined the patient's perioperative data including age, body mass index (BMI), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), operation time, estimated blood loss, and positive surgical margin. RESULTS: There were no significant differences among the groups in age (p=0.705), BMI (p=0.246), PSA (p=0.425), or prostate volume (p=0.380). Operation time (p<0.001) and estimated blood loss (p<0.001) decreased significantly with time. The positive surgical margin rate also showed a decreasing trend, but this was not significant (p=0.680). CONCLUSIONS: Operation time and estimated blood loss had a steep learning curve during the early 24 cases and then stabilized. A positive surgical margin rate, however, did not have a significant learning curve, although the positive surgical margin decreased continuously.

Keyword

Learning; Prostatectomy; Robotics; Laparoscopy; Prostatic neoplasms

MeSH Terms

Body Mass Index
Humans
Laparoscopy
Learning
Learning Curve
Prostate
Prostate-Specific Antigen
Prostatectomy
Prostatic Neoplasms
Robotics
Prostate-Specific Antigen

Figure

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  FIG. 1 Operation time. RALP: robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.

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  FIG. 2 Estimated blood loss. RALP: robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.

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  FIG. 3 Positive surgical margin. RALP: robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.

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