Wednesday 19 February 2020

Radical Perineal prostatectomy: What You Should Know?

Radical perineal prostatectomy is a surgical procedure performed to completely remove the prostate gland through a small incision in the perineum, the area between the anus and the scrotum. This procedure is typically carried out on men with prostate cancer that has not spread and involved other organs of the body. 


Radical perineal prostatectomy is rarely used than other surgery such as the open radical retropubic prostatectomy or the robot-assisted laparoscopic radical retropubic prostatectomy. Just like the retropubic approach, a radical perineal prostatectomy achieves the same rate of cure when the cancer is small and confined to the prostate. However, less blood is lost and provides quick recovery. One downside to the perineal approach is an increased risk of fecal incontinence.

Advantages of radical perineal prostatectomy
RPP provides patients with several benefits, including:
  •     Shorter operating time 
  •     Short hospital stay 
  •     Low blood loss
  •     Equally low rate of surgical complications
  •     Short recovery period
  •     Lower rates of urinary incontinence
  •     Preservation of erectile function

Who is not suitable for radical perineal prostatectomy?
Radical perineal prostatectomy is not suitable for men with conditions that limit correct positioning during the procedure. These conditions are:
  •     Ankylosis,
  •     Unstable artificial hip replacement, 
  •     Severe arthritis of the joints in the pelvis

Having very large prostates is also a technical challenge. However, the size can be reduced to aid surgical removal by hormone therapy before surgery.  

Lympg node sampling can not be done in radical perineal prostatectomy, which can be considered as a drawback of this procedure.


A discussion with expert professionals can help you to choose the right method. Factors, such as a man’s life expectancy and other comorbidities, are also taken into account while considering the procedure


Reviewed By: Dr Mahendra Jain
Mail Us: urologistbangalore@gmail.com