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Objective: To compare the perioperative outcomes of intracorporeal (ICUD) vs extracorporeal urinary diversion (ECUD) after robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC)., Patients and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the prospectively maintained International Robotic Cystectomy Consortium (IRCC) database. A total of 972 patients from 28 institutions who underwent RARC were included. Propensity score matching was used to match patients based on age, gender, body mass index (BMI), American Society of Anesthesiologists Score (ASA) score, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score, prior radiation and abdominal surgery, receipt of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and clinical staging. Matched cohorts were compared. Multivariate stepwise logistic and linear regression models were fit to evaluate variables associated with receiving ICUD, operating time, 90-day high-grade complications (Clavien-Dindo Classification Grade ≥III), and 90-day readmissions after RARC., Results: Utilisation of ICUD increased from 0% in 2005 to 95% in 2018. The ICUD patients had more overall complications (66% vs 58%, P = 0.01) and readmissions (27% vs 17%, P = 0.01), but not high-grade complications (21% vs 24%, P = 0.22). A more recent RC era and ileal conduit diversion were associated with receiving an ICUD. Higher BMI, ASA score ≥3, and receiving a neobladder were associated with longer operating times. Shorter operating time was associated with male gender, older age, ICUD, and centres with a larger annual average RC volume. Longer intensive care unit stay was associated with 90-day high-grade complications. Higher CCI score, prior radiation therapy, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and ICUD were associated with a higher risk of 90-day readmissions., Conclusions: Utilisation of ICUD has increased over the past decade. ICUD was associated with more overall complications and readmissions compared to ECUD, but not high-grade complications., (© 2020 The Authors BJU International © 2020 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: We sought to determine the trend of neoadjuvant chemotherapy use for nonmetastatic muscle invasive urothelial bladder cancer and whether it is associated with adverse perioperative morbidity after robot-assisted radical cystectomy., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the IRCC (International Robotic Cystectomy Consortium) database between 2006 and 2017. After excluding patients with nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer the patients were divided into 2 groups, including those who did vs did not receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Data were reviewed for demographics, preoperative, operative and 90-day perioperative outcomes. We used the Cochran-Armitage trend test to assess trends of neoadjuvant chemotherapy associations with high grade and overall complications with time. Multivariate stepwise regression analyses were done to determine whether neoadjuvant chemotherapy was associated with prolonged operative time, 90-day postoperative complications, readmissions, reoperations and mortality after robot-assisted radical cystectomy., Results: A total of 298 patients (26%) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. These patients were younger (age 67 vs 69 years, p=0.01) and more frequently had an ASA™ (American Society of Anesthesiologists™) score of 3 or greater (62% vs 55%, p=0.02) and pathological T3 stage or greater disease (28% vs 22%, p=0.04). The use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy increased significantly from 10% in 2006 to 2007 to 42% in 2016 to 2017 (p <0.01). On multivariate analysis neoadjuvant chemotherapy was not significantly associated with prolonged operative time, hospital stay, 90-day postoperative complications, reoperation or mortality. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was associated with 90-day readmissions after robot-assisted radical cystectomy (OR 5.90, 95% CI 3.30-10.90, p <0.01)., Conclusions: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy utilization has significantly increased in the last decade. It was not associated with perioperative surgical morbidity after robot-assisted radical cystectomy.

Purpose: We sought to investigate the prevalence and variables associated with early oncologic failure., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the IRCC (International Radical Cystectomy Consortium) database of patients who underwent robot-assisted radical cystectomy since 2003. The final cohort comprised a total of 1,894 patients from 23 institutions in 11 countries. Early oncologic failure was defined as any disease relapse within 3 months of robot-assisted radical cystectomy. All institutions were surveyed for the pneumoperitoneum pressure used, breach of oncologic surgical principles, and techniques of specimen and lymph node removal. A multivariate model was fit to evaluate predictors of early oncologic failure. The Kaplan-Meier method was applied to depict disease specific and overall survival, and Cox proportional regression analysis was used to evaluate predictors of disease specific and overall survival., Results: A total of 305 patients (22%) experienced disease relapse, which was distant in 220 (16%), local recurrence in 154 (11%), peritoneal carcinomatosis in 17 (1%) and port site recurrence in 5 (0.4%). Early oncologic failure developed in 71 patients (5%) at a total of 10 institutions. The incidence of early oncologic failure decreased from 10% in 2006 to 6% in 2015. On multivariate analysis the presence of any complication (OR 2.87, 95% CI 1.38-5.96, p = 0.004), pT3 or greater disease (OR 3.73, 95% CI 2.00-6.97, p <0.001) and nodal involvement (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.21-3.80, p = 0.008) was a significant predictor of early oncologic failure. Patients with early oncologic failure demonstrated worse disease specific and overall survival (23% and 13%, respectively) at 1 and 3 years compared to patients who experienced later or no recurrences (log rank p <0.001)., Conclusions: The incidence of early oncologic failure following robot-assisted radical cystectomy has decreased with time. Disease related rather than technical related factors have a major role in early oncologic failure after robot-assisted radical cystectomy., (Copyright © 2017 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To examine the occurrence and cost burden of hospital readmission within 90 days of robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC). Subjects/Patients (or Materials) and Methods: From 2003 to 2012, 247 patients underwent RARC with extracorporeal urinary reconstruction at a single categorical cancer hospital. Continent diversions were performed in 67% of patients. All readmissions within 90 days were included. Readmissions were defined as early (<30 days) and late (31-90 days) with multiple readmissions captured as separate events. Cost analysis was performed using average direct hospital cost. The Fisher exact test was used to determine differences in proportion of readmissions between patient groups, while logistic regression was used to identify predictors for readmission., Results: Ninety-eight (40%) patients were readmitted to the hospital at least once within 90 days after RARC, of which 77% occurred within 30 days. Twenty-seven (11%) required two or more readmissions. Readmissions took place at a median of 13 days after initial discharge. The most common reasons for initial readmission were infections (41%) and dehydration (19%). Stratified by urinary reconstruction type, ileal conduit (dehydration), Indiana pouch (urinary-tract infection without sepsis), and Studer neobladder (sepsis and pelvic abscess) differed by readmission reason. In a multivariable analysis, estimated blood loss was a predictor for readmission (p = 0.05). Patients readmitted to the hospital had direct costs that were 1.42× those who did not require readmission. Readmissions for ileus contributed to the highest cost of readmission, although ureteral stricture, pelvic abscess, and sepsis were the most costly per day of hospitalization. Limitations include retrospective analysis as well as variable thresholds for readmission and costs., Conclusions: Hospital readmission rates after RARC are high and costs of readmission are significant. Most patients are readmitted within 30 days and infection and dehydration are common causes. Clinicians should be aware of diversion-specific readmission causes.

Background: Long-term oncologic data on patients undergoing robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) are limited and based largely on single-institution series., Objective: Report survival outcomes of patients who underwent RARC ≥5 yr ago., Design, Setting, and Participants: Retrospective review of the prospectively populated International Robotic Cystectomy Consortium multi-institutional database identified 743 patients with RARC performed ≥5 yr ago. Clinical, pathologic, and survival data at the latest follow-up were collected. Patients with palliative RARC were excluded. Final analysis was performed on 702 patients from 11 institutions in 6 countries., Intervention: RARC., Outcome Measurements and Statistical Analysis: Outcomes of interest, recurrence-free survival (RFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) were plotted using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify factors that predicted outcomes., Results and Limitations: Pathologic organ-confined (OC) disease was found in 62% of patients. Soft tissue surgical margins (SMs) were positive in 8%. Median lymph node (LN) yield was 16, and 21% of patients had positive LNs. Median follow-up was 67 mo (interquartile range: 18-84 mo). Five-year RFS, CSS, and OS were 67%, 75%, and 50%, respectively. Non-OC disease and SMs were associated with poorer RFS, CSS, and OS on multivariable analysis. Age predicted poorer CSS and OS. Adjuvant chemotherapy and positive SMs were predictors of RFS (hazard ratio: 3.20 and 2.16; p<0.001 and p<0.005, respectively). Stratified survival curves demonstrated poorer outcomes for positive SM, LN, and non-OC disease. Retrospective interrogation and lack of contemporaneous comparison groups that underwent open radical cystectomy were major limitations., Conclusions: The largest multi-institutional series to date reported long-term survival outcomes after RARC., Patient Summary: Patients who underwent robot-assisted radical cystectomy for bladder cancer have acceptable long-term survival., (Copyright © 2015 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Context: Although open radical cystectomy (ORC) is still the standard approach, laparoscopic radical cystectomy (LRC) and robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) are increasingly performed., Objective: To report on a systematic literature review and cumulative analysis of pathologic, oncologic, and functional outcomes of RARC in comparison with ORC and LRC., Evidence Acquisition: Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched using a free-text protocol including the terms robot-assisted radical cystectomy or da Vinci radical cystectomy or robot* radical cystectomy. RARC case series and studies comparing RARC with either ORC or LRC were collected. A cumulative analysis was conducted., Evidence Synthesis: The searches retrieved 105 papers, 87 of which reported on pathologic, oncologic, or functional outcomes. Most series were retrospective and had small case numbers, short follow-up, and potential patient selection bias. The lymph node yield during lymph node dissection was 19 (range: 3-55), with half of the series following an extended template (yield range: 11-55). The lymph node-positive rate was 22%. The performance of lymphadenectomy was correlated with surgeon and institutional volume. Cumulative analyses showed no significant difference in lymph node yield between RARC and ORC. Positive surgical margin (PSM) rates were 5.6% (1-1.5% in pT2 disease and 0-25% in pT3 and higher disease). PSM rates did not appear to decrease with sequential case numbers. Cumulative analyses showed no significant difference in rates of surgical margins between RARC and ORC or RARC and LRC. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy use ranged from 0% to 31%, with adjuvant chemotherapy used in 4-29% of patients. Only six series reported a mean follow-up of >36 mo. Three-year disease-free survival (DFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) rates were 67-76%, 68-83%, and 61-80%, respectively. The 5-yr DFS, CSS, and OS rates were 53-74%, 66-80%, and 39-66%, respectively. Similar to ORC, disease of higher pathologic stage or evidence of lymph node involvement was associated with worse survival. Very limited data were available with respect to functional outcomes. The 12-mo continence rates with continent diversion were 83-100% in men for daytime continence and 66-76% for nighttime continence. In one series, potency was recovered in 63% of patients who were evaluable at 12 mo., Conclusions: Oncologic and functional data from RARC remain immature, and longer-term prospective studies are needed. Cumulative analyses demonstrated that lymph node yields and PSM rates were similar between RARC and ORC. Conclusive long-term survival outcomes for RARC were limited, although oncologic outcomes up to 5 yr were similar to those reported for ORC., Patient Summary: Although open radical cystectomy (RC) is still regarded as the standard treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer, laparoscopic and robot-assisted RCs are becoming more popular. Templates of lymph node dissection, lymph node yields, and positive surgical margin rates are acceptable with robot-assisted RC. Although definitive comparisons with open RC with respect to oncologic or functional outcomes are lacking, early results appear comparable., (Copyright © 2014 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Context: Although open radical cystectomy (ORC) is still the standard approach, laparoscopic radical cystectomy (LRC) and robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) have gained popularity., Objective: To report a systematic literature review and cumulative analysis of perioperative outcomes and complications of RARC in comparison with ORC and LRC., Evidence Acquisition: Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched using a free-text protocol including the terms robot-assisted radical cystectomy or da Vinci radical cystectomy or robot* radical cystectomy. RARC case series and studies comparing RARC with either ORC or LRC were collected. Cumulative analysis was conducted., Evidence Synthesis: The searches retrieved 105 papers. According to the different diversion type, overall mean operative time ranged from 360 to 420 min. Similarly, mean blood loss ranged from 260 to 480 ml. Mean in-hospital stay was about 9 d for all diversion types, with consistently high readmission rates. In series reporting on RARC with either extracorporeal or intracorporeal conduit diversion, overall 90-d complication rates were 59% (high-grade complication: 15%). In series reporting RARC with intracorporeal continent diversion, the overall 30-d complication rate was 45.7% (high-grade complication: 28%). Reported mortality rates were ≤3% for all diversion types. Comparing RARC and ORC, cumulative analyses demonstrated shorter operative time for ORC, whereas blood loss and in-hospital stay were better with RARC (all p values <0.003). Moreover, 90-d complication rates of any-grade and 90-d grade 3 complication rates were lower for RARC (all p values <0.04), whereas high-grade complication and mortality rates were similar., Conclusions: RARC can be performed safely with acceptable perioperative outcome, although complications are common. Cumulative analyses demonstrated that operative time was shorter with ORC, whereas RARC may provide some advantages in terms of blood loss and transfusion rates and, more limitedly, for postoperative complication rates over ORC and LRC., Patient Summary: Although open radical cystectomy (RC) is still regarded as a standard treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer, laparoscopic and robot-assisted RC are becoming more popular. Robotic RC can be safely performed with acceptably low risk of blood loss, transfusion, and intraoperative complications; however, as for open RC, the risk of postoperative complications is high, including a substantial risk of major complication and reoperation., (Copyright © 2014 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Context: Robot-assisted surgery is increasingly used for radical cystectomy (RC) and urinary reconstruction. Sufficient data have accumulated to allow evidence-based consensus on key issues such as perioperative management, comparative effectiveness on surgical complications, and oncologic short- to midterm outcomes., Objective: A 2-d conference of experts on RC and urinary reconstruction was organized in Pasadena, California, and the City of Hope Cancer Center in Duarte, California, to systematically review existing peer-reviewed literature on robot-assisted RC (RARC), extended lymphadenectomy, and urinary reconstruction. No commercial support was obtained for the conference., Evidence Acquisition: A systematic review of the literature was performed in agreement with the PRISMA statement., Evidence Synthesis: Systematic literature reviews and individual presentations were discussed, and consensus on all key issues was obtained. Most operative, intermediate-term oncologic, functional, and complication outcomes are similar between open RC (ORC) and RARC. RARC consistently results in less blood loss and a reduced need for transfusion during surgery. RARC generally requires longer operative time than ORC, particularly with intracorporeal reconstruction. Robotic assistance provides ergonomic value for surgeons. Surgeon experience and institutional volume strongly predict favorable outcomes for either open or robotic techniques., Conclusions: RARC appears to be similar to ORC in terms of operative, pathologic, intermediate-term oncologic, complication, and most functional outcomes. RARC consistently results in less blood loss and a reduced need for transfusion during surgery. RARC can be more expensive than ORC, although high procedural volume may attenuate this difference., Patient Summary: Robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) is an alternative to open surgery for patients with bladder cancer who require removal of their bladder and reconstruction of their urinary tract. RARC appears to be similar to open surgery for most important outcomes such as the rate of complications and intermediate-term cancer-specific survival. Although RARC has some ergonomic advantages for surgeons and may result in less blood loss during surgery, it is more time consuming and may be more expensive than open surgery., (Copyright © 2014 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The technique of robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) has evolved significantly since its inception >10 yr ago. Several high-volume centers have reported standardized techniques with refinements and subsequent outcomes., Objective: To review all existing literature on RARC and urinary diversion techniques and summarize key points that may affect oncologic, surgical, and functional outcomes., Design, Setting, and Participants: The Pasadena Consensus Panel on RARC and urinary reconstruction convened May 3-4, 2014, to review the existing peer-reviewed literature and create recommendations for best practice. The panel consisted of experts in open radical cystectomy and RARC. No commercial support was received., Surgical Procedure: The consensus panel extensively reviewed the surgical technique of RARC in men and women, extended pelvic lymph node dissection, extracorporeal urinary diversion, and intracorporeal urinary diversion. Critical aspects of the technique are described., Outcome Measurements and Statistical Analysis: Preoperative, operative, and postoperative parameters from the largest and most contemporary RARC series, stratified by urinary diversion technique, are presented., Results and Limitations: Preoperative, operative, and postoperative measures of RARC technique adhere closely to the standards established in open surgery., Conclusions: Refinement of techniques for RARC and urinary diversion over the past 10 yr has made it safe, reproducible, and oncologically sound., Patient Summary: We summarize the critical aspects of surgical techniques reviewed at the Pasadena international consensus meeting on RARC and urinary reconstruction. Preoperative, operative, and postoperative measures of RARC technique adhere closely to the standards established in open surgery., (Copyright © 2014 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the effects on the potency of a bilateral cavernosal nerve-sparing approach to robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) in a preoperatively potent population., Patients and Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 254 patients who underwent RARC between 2003 and 2012 at our single institution. We identified 33 men who were younger than 65 years and had evidence of preoperative erections on chart review. Twenty-nine of them underwent a bilateral nerve-sparing procedure, with 28 (97%) having concomitant creation of a continent urinary diversion., Results: Median follow-up was 32.9 months. Postoperatively, 13 (45%) patients had documented erections sufficient for penetration with or without the use of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors. Additional 6 (21%) were potent with intracavernosal injections (ICI), and the remaining 10 (34%) failed ICI usage, had on-going medical issues, or lost interest in sexual activity. With univariate analysis, no significant difference was found between those who recovered erections and those who did not on a wide range of demographic, operative, and perioperative factors, including age, comorbidities, operative time, or pathologic stage. Despite neurovascular bundle preservation, there was no local cancer recurrence and no positive soft tissue margins., Conclusion: A cavernosal nerve-sparing robot-assisted approach to radical cystectomy allows for recovery of potency without sacrificing oncologic outcomes even with higher risk disease as compared to historical open or laparoscopic series. Further studies are required to help elucidate why some men have better recovery in this setting than others.

Purpose: To evaluate intermediate-term oncologic outcomes in a large series of patients who were treated with robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB)., Patients and Methods: Between 2004 and 2010, 162 patients underwent RARC at City of Hope Cancer Center for UCB and were analyzed with respect to overall (OS), disease-specific (DSS), and disease-free survival (DFS). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize demographics and perioperative variables. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate survival and recurrence. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to determine predictors of survival., Results: Median follow-up was 52 months. Thirty-eight (23.4%) patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy before RARC; 28% of patients were pT2 and 33% had final pathology status of pT3 or pT4. Median lymph node count was 28, and positive surgical margin rate was 4.3%. Local recurrence occurred in 11 (6.8%) patients. OS, DFS, and DSS at 3 years were 61%, 76%, and 83%, respectively. OS, DFS, and DSS at 5 years were 54%, 74%, and 80%, respectively. Predictors of OS and DFS on multivariable analysis were lymph node density, pathologic stage, and age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index, while receipt of transfusion was also a negative predictor of OS., Conclusions: RARC provides an effective means of treatment of UCB in a minimally invasive fashion with comparable oncologic outcomes to that reported in the literature of open procedures.

Purpose: Minimally invasive surgical treatment for bladder cancer has gained popularity but standardized data on complications are lacking. Urinary diversion type contributes to complications and to our knowledge diversion types after minimally invasive cystectomy have not yet been compared. We evaluated perioperative complications stratified by urinary diversion type in patients treated with robot-assisted radical cystectomy., Materials and Methods: We analyzed the records of 209 consecutive patients who underwent robot-assisted radical cystectomy at our institution from 2003 to 2012 with respect to perioperative complications, including severity, time period (early and late) and diversion type. All complications were reviewed by academic urologists. Urinary diversion was also done. As outcome measurements and statistical analysis, univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to determine predictors of various complications., Results: The American Society of Anesthesiologists(®) (ASA) score was 3 or greater in 80% of patients and continent diversion was performed in 68%. Median followup was 35 months. Within 90 days 77.5% of patients experienced any complication and 32% experienced a major complication. The 90-day mortality rate was 5.3%. Most complications were gastrointestinal, infectious and hematological. On multivariate analysis patients with ileal conduit diversion had a decreased likelihood of complications compared to patients with Indiana pouch and orthotopic bladder substitute diversion despite the selection of a more comorbid population for conduit diversion. Continent diversion was associated with a higher likelihood of urinary tract infection. Our results are comparable to those of previously reported open and minimally invasive cystectomy series., Conclusions: Open or minimally invasive cystectomy is a complex, morbid procedure. Urinary diversion is a significant contributor to complications, as is patient comorbidity. Although patients with an ileal conduit had more comorbidities, they experienced fewer complications than those with an orthotopic bladder substitute or Indiana pouch diversion., (Copyright © 2014 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Complication reporting is highly variable and nonstandardized. Therefore, it is imperative to determine the surgical outcomes of major oncologic procedures., Objective: To describe the complications after robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) using a standardized and validated reporting methodology., Design, Setting, and Participants: Using the International Robotic Cystectomy Consortium (IRCC) database, we identified 939 patients who underwent RARC, had available complication data, and had at least 90 d of follow-up., Outcome Measurements and Statistical Analysis: Complications were analyzed and graded according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) system and were defined and stratified by organ system. Secondary outcomes included identification of preoperative and intraoperative variables predicting complications. Logistic regression models were used to define predictors of complications and readmission., Results and Limitations: Forty-one percent (n=387) and 48% (n=448) of patients experienced a complication within 30 and 90 d of surgery, respectively. The highest grade of complication was grade 0 in 52%, grade 1-2 in 29%, and grade 3-5 in 19% patients. Gastrointestinal, infectious, and genitourinary complications were most common (27%, 23%, and 17%, respectively). On multivariable analysis, increasing age group, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and receipt of blood transfusion were independent predictors of any and high-grade complications, respectively. Thirty and 90-d mortality was 1.3% and 4.2%, respectively. As a multi-institutional database, a disparity in patient selection, operating standards, postoperative management, and reporting of complications can be considered a major limitation of the study., Conclusions: Surgical morbidity after RARC is significant when reported using a standardized reporting methodology. The majority of complications are low grade. Strict reporting of complications is necessary to advocate for radical cystectomy (RC) and helps in patient counseling., (Copyright © 2013 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To prospectively determine the effect of robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) on quality of life (QoL) after surgery., Patients and Methods: In all, 34 patients who had RARC for bladder cancer between January 2006 and December 2007 at one institution were prospectively enrolled in a study of QoL. All patients had RARC with extracorporeal urinary diversion by one surgeon. As part of the routine follow-up, QoL was assessed at intervals. Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bladder (FACT-BL) questionnaires were administered before and then over a 6-month period after RARC. Patients undergoing chemotherapy were not excluded. Follow-up FACT-BL and individual domain scores for physical, social, emotional and functional well-being were compared with those obtained before RARC., Results: The mean age of all patients was 65 years, 88% were men, and 13 (38%) had adjuvant chemotherapy. The mean time after RARC for the 1-, 3- and 6-month assessments was 29, 90 and 193 days, respectively; 19 patients completed three follow-up questionnaires. Initially, there were significant decreases in the physical and functional domains, with improvements in the emotional domain (P < 0.001). Total FACT-General and FACT-BL scores decreased in the initial period after RARC and then progressively improved. There was no statistically significant difference in total scores at 3 months after surgery; at the 6-month follow-up the total FACT-BL scores exceeded those before RARC (P = 0.048)., Conclusions: QoL appears to return promptly to, or exceed, baseline levels by 6 months after RARC. The improvement in the short term might allow for more contented patients and quicker initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy.

Objective: To report on the influence that bladder tumour volume has on operative and pathological outcomes after robotic-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC, a minimally invasive alternative to open cystectomy for treating bladder cancer), as with the lack of tactile feedback in RARC tumour volume might compromise the outcome., Patients and Methods: Between 2005 and 2007, 54 consecutive patients had RARC at one institution. CT urograms were obtained in all patients for staging purposes and to evaluate hydronephrosis. Patients were separated into two groups based on pathological tumour dimensions. Once selected into two-dimensional (2D, flat) or 3D (bulky) tumour groups the patients were compared for operative and pathological variables., Results: The mean age of all patients was 67 years; 19 had tumours classified as 2D and 35 as 3D. There were no statistical differences in age, sex, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, previous surgery, mean hospital stay, or estimated blood loss between the groups. The difference in operative duration for bladder removal was almost statistically significant (P = 0.077). Intraoperative transfusion was more common in the 3D group (P = 0.044); 43% of patients in the 3D group had hydronephrosis, vs only 16% in the 2D group. 3D tumours were more likely to be higher stage (P = 0.051). All positive margins in the patient were in the 3D group (P = 0.04); no patients with < or =T2 disease had a positive surgical margin., Conclusions: Bulky tumours removed with RARC might be associated with an increased rate of intraoperative transfusion, higher stage disease, and higher rate of margin positivity. In patients with large-volume tumours on preoperative assessment, wider dissection of perivesical tissue might decrease the margin-positive rates.