Rate of Symptomatic Lymphocele Formation After Extraperitoneal vs Transperitoneal Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy and Bilateral Pelvic Lymphadenectomy

Abstract Introduction and Objective: With the peritoneum acting as a natural surface for lymphatic reabsorption, transperitoneal robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (tRARP) is thought to be associated with a lower incidence of symptomatic lymphoceles (SLs) compared with its extraperitoneal counterpart (eRARP) when bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection (BPLND) is performed. In this study, we aim to determine if there is a difference in SL formation and characteristics between the two approaches. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who underwent eRARP or tRARP and BPLND by a single surgeon at a tertiary care academic center from July 1, 2003, to May 31, 2016. Patients with a history of prior pelvic radiotherapy, concomitant inguinal hernia repair, RARP without BPLND, or nonadenocarcinoma of the prostate were excluded. The resulting eRARP and tRARP groups were propensity matched for age, body mass index (BMI), American Association of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, D'A...