Robot-Assisted Radical Cystectomy Versus Open Radical Cystectomy

Radical cystectomy is suited to a minimally invasive approach, and robotic surgery holds the potential for improving perioperative morbidity compared with open surgery, without a compromise of oncological efficacy. Recent meta-analyses have shown that minimally invasive cystectomy is associated with lower morbidity, shorter length of stay, reduced blood loss and transfusion rates, less post-operative ileus and a reduced need for analgesics. The short and medium term oncological efficacy of robotic cystectomy has been shown to be equivalent to open surgery. However, larger studies with longer follow-up are needed in order to obtain higher levels of evidence