Is Radical Prostatectomy in Thai Men a High Morbidity Surgery for Localized or Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer?
Sunai Leewansangtong MD*, Suchai Soontrapa MD*, Chaiyong Nualyong MD*, Sittiporn Srinualnad MD*, Tawatchai Taweemonkongsap MD*, Teerapon Amornvesukit MD*
Affiliation : * Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University
Objective : To assess the morbidity of radical prostatectomy in Thai patients with localized or locally advanced
prostate cancer.
Materials and Methods : A total of 151 patients with prostate cancer underwent radical prostatectomy at
Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, between 1994 to 2003. Operative complications and long
term morbidity were evaluated with clinical stage T1, T2 and T3.
Results : Mean operative duration, blood loss and blood transfusion were 162 minutes (range 71-540), 1088
ml (range 200-4000) and 1.7 unit (range 0-12), respectively. Of 151 patients, 139 (92.6%) did not have
perioperative complications and 42 (27.8%) did not have blood transfusion. Of 12 patients with morbidity, all
patients were safely managed. There was no mortality. Of 140 patients with follow up results, 131 (93.7%) had
no incontinence. Seven patients had mild stress incontinence. Only 2 patients had a significant incontinence.
Eight patients had stricture of anatomosis. Strictures were simply managed with dilatation. There was no
significant difference of operative time, blood loss, blood transfusion, incontinence and stricture parameters
among clinical T stage (all p value > 0.05).
Conclusion : Radical prostatectomy in Thai men is not a high morbidity surgery in terms of immediate compli-
cations and long term morbidity. For clinical T3 prostate cancer, morbidity is not significantly higher than in
patients with clinical localized disease.
Keywords : Prostate, Prostatic neoplasm, Radical prostatectomy
