Laparoscopic radical cystectomy with extracorporeal urinary diversion: Preliminary experience

Aim : We present our experience with the first eight patients who underwent laparoscopic radical cystectomy with bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy and extracorporeal urinary diversion. Patients, operative data and the surgical techniques are presented. Methods: Between June 2003 and April 2004, seven men and one woman with organ-confined muscle-invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder underwent laparoscopic radical cystectomy with urinary diversion. The age range was 41-73 years. Laparoscopic radical cystectomy and bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy were performed using five ports by a transperitoneal approach. An ileal conduit diversion or ileal W-neobladder was constructed through the site of specimen retrieval. Results: We performed eight radical cystectomies with ileal conduits (six cases) or orthotopic ileal W-neobladders (two cases). Conversion to open surgery was necessary in one due to technical difficulty in urethroneobladder anastomosis. Mean operating time was 560 min (range 455-680). Mean estimated blood loss was 675 mL (range 400-1050). Two of the eight patients needed blood transfusion (800 mL each). Mean days to oral intake and ambulation was 4.4 (range 2-6) and 4.1 (range 3-5), respectively. Mean hospital stay was 12.8 days (range 7-28). Mean follow up was 6.1 months (range 4-14). Histopathological examination of the specimens revealed stage T2NOMO in five cases, T3aNOM0 in one, T3aN1M0 in one and T3bN1M0 in one. No metastases have been detected and all are alive and free of disease. Conclusion: Laparoscopic radical cystectomy is feasible, although difficult and technically demanding, and our results are promising. With more experience and improvement of the surgical technique, laparoscopic radical cystectomy with urinary diversion may become an alternative surgical method for treating the selected patients with localized muscle invasive bladder cancer.