Surgical management of localized prostate cancer

The surgical management of localized prostate cancer continues to evolve. Since the initial report by Walsh and Donker on the principles of the anatomical radical prostatectomy, further refinements in technique improved intra-operative outcomes including blood loss and transfusion rates; as well as post-operative complications including incontinence and impotence. A better understanding of the impact of positive margins on cancer control allow the surgeon to modify the procedure to minimize this occurrence. Robotic surgery represents the next step in the evolution of conventional laparoscopic surgery, including all of the advantages of the traditional laparoscopic approach with the addition of decreasing the learning curve and improving the quality of the surgical technique. RALP has allowed urologists who were traditionally trained in open retropubic surgery to move into the field of minimally invasive surgery. Market demand for high-tech surgery and new technologies also has been an important driver of RALP. © 2013 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.