Positive surgical margins and bladder neck sparing during laparoscopic radical prostatectomy

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study is to evaluate the result of bladder neck sparing technique associated with positive surgical margins in patients operated with laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We analyze data from 17 patients with localized PCa patients treated with laparoscopic radical prostatectomy while preserve the bladder neck. In all patients, an intra-operative biopsy was performed from the bladder neck while topographic histological findings, potential positive margins and urinary continence after 3.6 and 12 months were presented. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 65.17 (range 56 to 70). The mean PSA was 6.14 ng/ml (range 3.2 to 10.1), and the most common Gleason Score was 6 (range 6 to 8). In all cases the biopsy from the bladder neck was negative. Sixteen men (94.1%) had clinical stage pT2 and 1 (5.9%) were pT3a. Positive surgical margins were found at the top of the prostate in only 1 case whereas 11, 13 and 15 patients were normalized at 3.6.12 months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: It seems in our patients, that the bladder neck sparing technique is not associated with the increase incidence of positive surgical margins and can also be performed