ABSTRACT

Today, radical prostatectomy is performed by open retropubic and perineal access, by conventional laparoscopic and robotic approaches. Robotic surgery has been developed to increase operative precision, decrease the learning curve and thereby increase the applicability of minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques. It provides the best ergonomics for the laparoscopic technique, resulting in a shorter learning curve of a well-standardised procedure such as radical prostatectomy. In the United States, >70% of radical prostatectomies are performed using the robotic surgical system. The introduction of surgical robot to assist laparoscopic radical prostatectomy has helped to evolve the laparoscopic skills and improve surgical maneuverability with enhanced visual systems and the multi-axis articulating instruments. This review describes the patient setup, positioning, port placement, preparation of the robot, and the surgical steps of performing transperitoneal radical prostatectomy with robotic assistance.