Real-World Data on the Effectiveness of Microporous Polysaccharide Hemospheres for Allowing Even Novice Surgeons to Perform Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy Safely

OBJECTIVE: Radical prostatectomy can be performed more safely and with fewer complications since the advent of robot-assisted surgery. However, increased bleeding is a concern when robot-assisted radical prostatectomy includes lymph node dissection and nerve sparing. In real-world clinical practice, inexperienced surgeons sometimes perform robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of microporous polysaccharide hemospheres as a local hemostatic agent in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 301 patients who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy at our institution between December 2017 and November 2020. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to whether their surgery was performed after the introduction of microporous polysaccharide hemospheres as a local hemostatic agent (group A, n = 140) or before it (group B, n = 161: historical control). RESULTS: Preoperative androgen deprivation therapy was significantly more common in group A than in group B (23 vs. 11, P = .009). Furthermore, surgeons were significantly less experienced (P < .001) and the operation time was significantly longer (260 minutes vs. 229 minutes; P < .001) in group A than in group B. There was no significant difference in any other patient background characteristics or in the surgical outcomes between the groups. CONCLUSION: The use of microporous polysaccharide hemospheres allowed even inexperienced surgeons to perform robot-assisted radical prostatectomy without compromising surgical outcomes.