Perioperative recovery in different urinary reconstruction approaches of radical cystectomy: Are the advantages of laparoscopy consistent?

Context: Radical cystectomy (RC) has complicated surgical procedures and various ways of urinary reconstruction.

Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate whether the advantages of laparoscopy over open surgery were consistent in the perioperative recovery of different methods of urinary diversion after RC in the general and the elderly (>65 years) population.

Settings and design: A retrospective study reviewed 452 (elderly 261) patients who received RC from the year 2005-2012.

Subjects and methods: Of all, 88 patients underwent laparoscopic RC (LRC) and 364 patients underwent open RC (ORC). There were 325 patients received ileal conduit (IC), whereas 127 patients received cutaneous ureterostomy (CU).

Statistical analysis used: We used different statistical methods (t-test, Chi-square, etc.) to compare variables outcomes.

Results: For IC urinary diversion, the general patients undergoing LRC had less intra-operative blood loss (566.5 vs. 1320.3 ml, P < 0.001), lower blood transfusion rate (11.4 vs. 34.1%, P < 0.001), shorter gastrointestinal recovery time (5.7 vs. 6.7 days, P= 0.002) and shorter length of hospital stay (LOS) (21.7 vs. 26.0 days, P = 0.003) than patients receiving ORC. Similar trends were observed in older patients. For CU urinary diversion, the general and the elderly patients receiving LRC had a shorter mean time to gastrointestinal recovery (P = 0.017, P < 0.001, respectively) than patients receiving ORC. No differences were found between LRC and ORC in intra-operative blood loss, allogeneic blood transfusion rate and LOS.

Conclusions: In the general and the elderly population, laparoscopic approach could result in more rapid rehabilitation for RC patients, especially in the IC patients.