Return to work after robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy versus radical retro-pubic prostatectomy.

INTRODUCTION: We compared the return-to-work interval (RTWI) after radical retro-pubic prostatectomy (RRP) and robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) in men being treated for early-stage prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We mailed a 28-item questionnaire to a random sample of 2,696 patients who either had RRP from 1995 to 2004 or RALP from 2004 to 2011. RESULTS: We received analyzable questionnaires from 315 patients; 178 had RALP and 137 had RPP. The median RTWI was shorter in the RALP group than in the RRP group (3 versus 4 weeks, p = .016). The percent of subjects who had not returned to work 4 weeks after surgery was 23.6% for RALP and 38.2% for RRP (p = .010). In multivariate regression analysis, surgical approach was a significant predictor of RTWI independent of other social/clinical variables that were associated with either surgical approach or RTWI (p = .014). CONCLUSION: Our data support a shortening of RTWI by RALP.