ABSTRACT

Despite a proliferation of new technologies and treatment options, there seems little reason to believe that surgical removal of the prostate will be displaced in the foreseeable future as the preferred approach for many patients. What is occurring, though, is an almost revolutionary shift in the surgical approach for radical prostatectomy. In only a few short years, laparoscopic prostatectomy with or without robotic assistance has emerged as a preferred alternative for many patients undergoing radical prostatectomy, and it seems likely that it will become the dominant surgical approach in only a short time.