Comparison of Laparoscopic and Robot-assisted Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer: Perioperative and Oncologic Outcomes

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare perioperative and oncologic outcomes between laparoscopic radical cystectomy (LRC) and robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) for bladder cancer (BCa).

Materials And Methods: Patients who underwent LRC or RARC with curative intent for BCa between January 2011 and December 2016 were included. Perioperative, pathologic oncologic data were extracted from our database. Disease-free survival, overall survival, and cancer-specific survival were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival curves with log-rank tests.

Results: A total of 126 patients underwent LRC and 189 patients underwent RARC during the study period. All the baseline variables were similar between the two groups. Patients undergoing RARC had a significant higher median estimated blood loss (300 mL vs. 200 mL; P = .005), lower rate of 90-day postoperative complications (36.5% vs. 50.0%; P = .017), and higher median direct cost ($15,306 vs. $11,131; P < .001) than LRC. Other perioperative outcomes were similar. No differences were found in pathologic T stage, positive lymph nodes, or positive surgical margin between patients who underwent LRC and RARC. The 5-year disease-free survival, overall survival, and cancer-specific survival rates were 51.9%, 61.0%, and 69.5%, respectively, for all included patients. There were no significant differences in oncologic outcomes between the 2 groups.

Conclusion: Patients with BCa can be safely managed with LRC and RARC by experienced surgeons. RARC was associated with a reduced rate of postoperative complication but also with higher median estimated blood loss, and higher median direct cost. These findings could be used to guide patient counseling, and treatment selection.