Re: Health Economic Analysis of Open and Robot-assisted Laparoscopic Surgery for Prostate Cancer Within the Prospective Multicentre LAPPRO Trial

Forsmark and co-workers performed a health economic analysis to assess how costs differed between robotic and open radical prostatectomy (RP) using data from the prospective nonrandomised multicentre LAPPRO trial. In prospective studies, RALP showed no statistically significant improvement in continence and a small improvement in erectile function compared to open surgery, whereas surgeon experience seems to be the most important factor associated with optimal postoperative outcomes. Nevertheless, there has been exponential diffusion of RALP worldwide in the past decade and urology patients are increasingly requesting a robotic approach. Surgical treatment of prostate cancer and of kidney cancer is increasingly performed via a robotic approach.