Robotic radical cystectomy and urinary diversion in the management of bladder cancer

The authors have explored the versatility of the da Vinci robot for pelvic surgery to develop the technique of robotic radical cystectomy in conjunction with the Urology and Nephrology Center in Mansoura, Egypt, a world leader in conventional (open) cystectomy. This approach, which is designed to minimize the time required for surgery, is a sandwich technique in which the cystectomy and the neobladder-urethral anastomosis are performed with robotic assistance and the urinary diversion is performed extracorporeally. This article reviews the published literature and details the authors' current technique of robotic radical cystectomy and urinary diversion.