Population‐based, nationwide registration of prostatectomies in Sweden

INTRODUCTION: Radical prostatectomy (RP) is a common surgical procedure with a risk of postoperative erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence. There is a need for data on RP as a basis for quality assurance and benchmarking. METHODS: In 2015, prostatectomies in Sweden (PiS) form was implemented in the National Prostate Cancer Register (NPCR) of Sweden with data on pre‐, peri‐ and post‐operative variables. RESULTS: Out of all radical prostatectomies performed in 2016 in Sweden, 3096/3881 (80%) were registered in PiS. A total of 2605 (84%) were robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) and 491 (16%) were RRP (retropubic radical prostatectomy). RARP was performed by 91 surgeons of whom 47% operated more than 25 RP/year; and RRP was performed by 69 surgeons of whom 10% performed more than 25 RP/year. RARP had a longer operative time (median operating time: RARP 155 minutes [IQR 124‐190]; RRP 129 minutes [IQR 105‐171]; P < .001) but was associated with smaller bleeding (median intraoperative blood loss: RARP 100 mL [IQR 50‐200], RRP 700 mL [IQR 500‐1100]; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: We report on a nationwide, population‐based register with transparent reporting of data on the performance of radical prostatectomy. These data are needed as a basis for quality assurance with comparisons of results from individual surgeons and hospitals.