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Objective: To evaluate the effect of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) fluctuation on Gleason score (GS) upgrading, disease upstaging, oncological outcomes in low-risk prostate cancer (PCa) patients who underwent robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RARP) and met the inclusion criteria for active surveillance (AS)., Material and Methods: Data of 354 low-risk PCa patients who underwent RARP were retrospectively evaluated. Patients were divided into two groups: PSA fluctuation rate<9.5%/month (Group 1, n=192) and >9.5%/month (Group 2, n=162). Mainly compared parameters were GS upgrading, disease upstaging, biochemical recurrence (BCR) and surgical margin positivity (SMP) rates., Results: GS upgrading, disease upstaging and SMP were detected in 128 (36.2%), 56 (15.8%) and 42 (11.9%) patients, respectively. After a median follow-up of 46 months, BCR was observed in 40 (11.3%) patients. GS upgrading (41.1% vs. 30.2%, p=0.033), disease upstaging (19.8% vs. 11.1%, p=0.028), SMP (15.1% vs. 8%, p=0.035) and BCR development (15.6% vs. 6.2%, p=0.005) rates were statistically significantly higher in Group 1 than Group 2. In multivariate analysis, digital rectal examination positivity, the presence of two positive cores and low PSA fluctuation rate were found to be significant predictors of GS upgrading., Conclusion: Low PSA fluctuation rate is associated with higher GS upgrading.

Objective: This study presents the surgical, oncological, and functional outcomes of the first 93 robotic radical prostatectomy (RARP) procedures performed in Erzurum, Turkey. These procedures were performed by a single surgeon who had completed the European Association of Urology Robotic Urology Section (ERUS) RARP curriculum in an ERUS-certified training center in Ankara., Material and Methods: The study present the results of 93 RARP procedures performed by a single surgeon. The surgeon performing the operations completed an ERUS training program structured for RARP by two robotic surgeons holding ERUS training certificates in an ERUS-approved academic robotic surgery training center in Ankara. The RARP cases performed by the surgeon after completion of the training between April 2016 and August 2018 were retrospectively evaluated., Results: The mean patient age was 63.62±7.04 years, and the mean preoperative serum prostate-specific antigen level was 8.34±4.96 ng/mL. Preoperatively, 82 and 4 patients had prostate biopsy Gleason scores of 3+3 and 4+3, respectively. Bilateral neurovascular bundle (NVB) sparing, unilateral NVB-sparing, and non-NVB-sparing surgery were performed in 21, 13, and 59 cases, respectively. The mean prostate weight was 85.34±47.57 g. Posterior rhabdosphincter reconstruction was performed in 60 (64.5%) cases. Mean console time, intraoperative blood loss, duration of hospital stay, and urethral catheter removal time were 170.49±36.50 min, 100.70±34.08 cc, 6.84±2.28 days, and 7.40±3.11 days, respectively. During the perioperative period (0-30 days), five minor (prolonged drain output, n=3; rectocele, n=1; gout arthritis, n=1) and six major (inguinal hernia, n=1; incisional hernia, n=2; anastomotic urinary leakage, n=2; myocardial infarction, n=1) complications were identified. No complication was detected during postoperative days 31-90. Postoperative pathological stages included pT2a, pT2b, and pT2c disease in 77 (82.8%), 9 (9.7%), and 7 (7.5%) patients, respectively. The positive surgical margin (SM) rate was 10.7% (n=10), including patients with pT2a (n=6) and pT2c (n=2) diseases. Eleven (11.8%) patients underwent pelvic lymph node (LN) dissection. The mean LN yield was 16.45±4.29. The mean length of follow-up was 11.17±8.01 months. Biochemical recurrence was observed in two patients, one of whom received maximal androgen blockage (MAB), and the other one received pelvic radiotherapy+MAB. All the patients with at least one-year follow-up (n=48, 51.6%) were fully continent (0 pads/day). Of the 40 (43%) patients with no preoperative erectile dysfunction (ED) and with at least three-month follow-up, 18 (45%) had no ED, with or without any additional medication including phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors., Conclusion: RARP is a safe minimally invasive procedure with acceptable morbidity, excellent operative, pathological and oncological outcomes, and satisfactory functional results. The ERUS RARP curriculum provides effective and sufficient training.