Robot-assisted laparoscopic radical cystoprostatectomy with ileal conduit urinary diversion: Initial experience in Korea

In this paper, we report our initial experience of robot-assisted laparoscopic radical cystoprostatectomy (RLRC) with an ileal conduit urinary diversion (ICUD). Our patient was a 59-year-old man presenting with a clinical T4 invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder and prostate. A RLRC was performed with the da Vinci™ robot system (Intuitive Surgical, Mountain View, CA), which has a total of seven degrees of motion (six degrees of freedom and grip), and EndoWrist® (Intuitive Surgical) instrumentation. The specimen was extracted through the 8-cm-sized incision in the umbilical trocar site. The ICUD was achieved through a removal site of a specimen by an extracorporeal technique. The total operative time was 340 minutes and the estimated blood loss was 600 mL. The pathologic examination showed a stage T4a, with negative surgical margins. A RLRC can be an alternative to the open technique. We are the first group to perform RLRC in Korea and to report on our technique and outcome.