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Introduction: In this retrospective study, we report outcomes of robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RARP) in high-risk prostate cancer (HRPC), classified according to the D’Amico risk criteria and with a minimum follow-up of 1 year. Methods: A total of 60 patients who had at least one preoperative HRPC feature and underwent RARP were included. Mean patient age and preoperative serum prostate-specific antigen level were 66.4±7.5 years and 13.4±11.0 ng/ml, respectively. Preoperatively, 3 (5.0%), 4 (6.7%), 17 (28.3%), 3 (5.0%), and 33 (55.0%) patients had prostate biopsy-proven Gleason scores of 5+4, 4+5, 4+4, 3+5, and 2 pads/day. Of the 27 patients with no preoperative erectile dysfunction (ED), 17 (63.0%) had no ED at a mean follow-up of 1 year. Trifecta and pentafecta rates were 43.2% and 28.7%, respectively. Conclusion: Based on our experience, RARP in HRPC is a relatively safe procedure with satisfactory oncological and functional outcomes.

Introduction: We present our experience with retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) in patients with calculi in congenital anomalies of the upper urinary tract. Methods: A total of 29 patients with urinary stones and congenital anomalies of the kidney and ureter, including duplicated collecting system, horseshoe kidney (HSK), malrotated kidney, ureteropelvic junction stenosis (UPJ-S), and ectopic pelvic kidney (EPK), were treated with RIRS between January 2008 and December 2014. Success was defined as the absence of stone fragments or the presence of only asymptomatic insignificant residual fragments

Introduction: Prostate cancer (PrC) is the fifth most common malignancy worldwide and the second most common malignancy in men. Currently, robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RARP) has become a popular treatment for localised PrC treatment worldwide. We aimed to assess the learning curve of RARP in our institution. Methods: A total of 391 patients who underwent RARP in our clinic between February 2009 and April 2013 were included in the study. We retrospectively evaluated patient data that were recorded prospectively. The demographic, perioperative, postoperative functional, and oncological results of six surgeons’ patient groups (n=72, n=110, n=103, n=38, n=36, and n=32) and three consecutive series formed by dividing the patient groups of the three surgeons with the highest volume of cases were analysed. Results: There was no significant difference between patient groups with regard to age, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, preoperative International Prostate Symptom Score, International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) score, number of previously performed operations, prostate-specific antigen levels, clinical stage, biopsy pathology, pathological stage, positive surgical margin (PSM) rate, biochemical recurrence (BCR) rate, potency, and continence rate at postoperative Month 12. When we assessed the three consecutive series of the three highest-volume surgeons we found that, over time, operation time (OT) decreased significantly (p0.05), and median IIEF score at 12 months improved significantly (p0.05), and median IIEF score at 12 months improved significantly (p=0.01) in the series of Surgeon 2; OT decreased significantly (p0.05 for both) in the series of Surgeon 3. The overall complication rate was 11.7% and 34% of these complications were major ones. The overall blood transfusion rate was 2%. The overall PSM rate was 20.4% (9.3% for pT2 tumours and 44% for pT3 tumours). The overall rate of BCR was 9.4%. Conclusion: In our clinical experience, OT, EBL, and blood transfusion rate seem to decrease during the learning curve of RARP.

Objective: To report the outcomes of transperitoneal robotic adrenalectomy (RA) procedures in five initial cases performed at two institutions. Methods: Between March 2012 and November 2014, five patients underwent RA. A transperitoneal approach was taken by using the da Vinci-S four-arm surgical robot. Outcomes were assessed retrospectively. Results: Mean patient age was 42.6±5.1 (range: 34-47) years. Mean body mass index was 30.5±4.5 (range: 23.2-35.2) kg/m². Median tumour size detected on radiological imaging was 3.1±1.7 (range: 1.2-6.0) cm. Mean operation time was 129.0±12.4 (range: 120-150) minutes and median estimated blood loss was 100.0±119.3 (range: 50-350) ml. No intraoperative or perioperative complications occurred according to the modified Clavien complication scale. Median duration of hospital stay was 2.0±1.7 (range: 2-6) days. The fourth robotic arm was used in two patients. Histopathology results demonstrated: metastasis of renal cell carcinoma occurred in 1 case, adrenal cortical adenoma in 2 cases, pheochromocytoma in 1 case, and hyperplasia in 1 case. After a median follow-up of 17.0±15.0 (range: 3-40) months, no local recurrence was detected. Conclusion: RA is a safe minimally invasive surgical approach that has excellent surgical and oncological outcomes in the treatment of adrenal masses

The most effective local treatment of muscle invasive bladder cancer and non-invasive, high-grade bladder tumours that recur or progress despite intravesical therapies, is open radical cystectomy (RC), extended pelvic lymph node (LN) dissection with urinary diversion. Performing these complex procedures using pure laparoscopy is extremely difficult. On the other hand, the surgical robot has the advantage of enabling the console surgeon to perform complex procedures more easily, providing three-dimensional (3D) and magnified views, higher grades of wristed hand movements, and decreased hand tremor, while the fourth robotic arm offers additional assistance and tissue retraction which facilitates the learning curve. The number of centres performing robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) is increasing. Although most of the centres perform extracorporeal urinary diversion following RARC, very few centres – including ours – have reported their outcomes on RARC with total intracorporeal urinary diversion. Some of the articles, comparing open RC versus RARC, have suggested similar outcomes in terms of operative time, mean LN yield, positive surgical margin (PSM) rates, and complication rates, whereas others have suggested decreased estimated blood loss, transfusion rate, complications, length of hospital stay, wound problems, time to flatus, and time to regular diet in the postoperative period in RARC patients. The surgical technique of total intracorporeal RARC with urinary diversions is still evolving, and these complex robotic procedures seem to be technically feasible with good intermediate-term oncologic results, acceptable morbidities, excellent short-term surgical and pathological outcomes, and satisfactory functional results.