Surgical control and margin status after robotic and open cystectomy in high-risk cases: Caution or equivalence?

purposeThe benefits of robotic-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) are unclear, especially in patients with high-risk disease (pT3/T4). We evaluated pathological and postoperative outcomes of RARC versus open radical cystectomy (ORC) in these patients.

methodsWe identified bladder cancer patients treated with RARC or ORC from January 2010-August 2014. Clinicodemographic factors were examined for potential confounding. Our primary outcome of interest was positive soft-tissue surgical margins (STSMs). Secondary outcomes included post-operative complications and length of stay (LOS). We used logistic regression to define the association between clinical factors with outcomes of interest, focusing on patients with locally advanced disease.

resultsWe identified 472 patients treated with ORC (407, 86.2 %) or RARC (65, 13.8 %) of which 215 (45.6 %) were high-risk cases based on advanced pathologic stage (pT3/4). RARC patients were more commonly men (96.9 vs. 73.2 %, p < 0.01), had better performance status (ECOG 0, 78.5 vs. 59.7 %, p = 0.031), and received less neoadjuvant chemotherapy (21.5 vs. 39.3 %, p = 0.006). Total (52.3 vs. 59.7 %, p = 0.26) and high-grade complication rates (13.8 vs. 19.7 %, p = 0.27) were similar, but median LOS was shorter after RARC (6 vs. 7 days, p < 0.01). On multivariate analysis, prior pelvic radiation (OR: 4.78, 95 % CI: 2.16-10.57), and advanced tumor stage (OR: 3.06, 95 % CI: 1.56-6.03) were independently associated with positive STSMs in high-risk patients but robotic surgical approach was not (OR: 0.81, 95 % CI: 0.29-2.30; p = 0.69).

conclusionRARC had similar short-term postoperative outcomes compared to ORC and did not compromise oncological control in patients with extravesical disease.