Comparison of clinical results and treatment cost of open, laparoscopic, and robotic radical prostatectomy

The review showed that, overall, laparoscopic and robotic radical prostatectomy outcomes have not proved superior to open radical prostatectomy outcomes or resulted in anticipated benefits to patients. The differences among major outcomes are minor and associated with shorter lengths of stay, the costs associated with laparoscopic and robotic radical prostatectomy are significantly higher than with open radical prostatectomy. In addition, current data seem to suggest that results of any of the procedures depend more on the surgeon's ability than on the approach. Therefore, considering the nonsuperiority of the other techniques, the shorter learning curves, the available long-term outcome data, and low expenses for treatment the open technique remains the gold standard.