Robotic Salvage Prostatectomy: a Contemporary Review

We sought to review the appropriate patient selection criteria, available clinical literature, technical modifications, and future directions associated with the use of robotic technology to perform salvage robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (SRARP). Recent studies have investigated the emerging role of SRARP following primary focal therapies, imaging technologies for preoperative staging and risk assessment, and novel bioengineering and technical modifications to improve postoperative functional outcomes. SRARP represents a potentially curative but underutilized treatment for men who develop localized recurrence of prostate cancer (PCa) following primary radiotherapy treatment or primary focal therapy. While SRARP may be associated with potentially significant complications including rectal injury, erectile dysfunction, and stress urinary incontinence, several centers have published their experience with the procedure and several technical modifications to the standard RALP have been utilized to reduce the risk of these potential treatment side effects. Further standardization of pathology reporting, novel technological and imaging advances, and multi-institutional collaboration will be necessary to improve future SRARP outcomes.