Postoperative C-reactive protein concentration and clinical outcome: comparison of open cystectomy to robot-assisted laparoscopic cystectomy with extracorporeal or intracorporeal urinary diversion in a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare clinical outcome and postoperative systemic inflammatory response using C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, to quantify the degree of tissue injury in open mini-laparotomy cystectomy (OMC) versus robot-assisted laparoscopic cystectomy with extracorporeal (RALC-EUD) or intracorporeal urinary diversion (RALC-IUD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: From September 2012 to September 2015, 309 patients diagnosed with bladder cancer underwent radical cystectomy with urinary diversion. Of these, 175 patients were eligible for the study and underwent OMC (n = 125), RALC-EUD (n = 12) or RALC-IUD (n = 38). Blood samples were obtained preoperatively and postoperatively on days 1-7. Clinical and perioperative parameters, including demographics, comorbidity, tumour stage and postoperative outcomes, were collected from medical records.

RESULTS: Age, American Society of Anesthesiologists score and Charlson score were significantly higher in OMC than in the robotic groups (p = 0.020, 0.012 and 0.008, respectively). Other demographic data showed no significant group differences. Estimated blood loss and blood transfusion volume were higher in OMC (p < 0.001) and operative time was longer in the robotic groups (p < 0.001); no difference was found between RALC groups. Postoperative CRP levels changed over time (p < 0.001) and RALC-IUD appeared to have significantly higher CRP levels on postoperative days 3-7 compared to OMC and RALC-EUD (p < 0.031), but OMC CRP levels were higher than RALC-EUD.

CONCLUSIONS: In this study, robotic techniques seem less traumatic overall than open surgery, as OMC had higher postoperative CRP levels than RALC-EUD. The higher CRP levels in RALC-IUD may be more reflective of the urinary diversion technique than the true tissue trauma.