Outcomes of open versus robot-assisted radical cystectomy for bladder cancer

Mortality rates resulting from bladder cancer have remained unchanged for more than 30 years. The surgical community has put hope in robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) with intracorporeal urinary diversion (ICUD). A population-based cohort study in Sweden investigated mortality and perioperative outcomes after RARC with ICUD versus open radical cystectomy (ORC). After propensity score matching, patients who underwent RARC had lower overall mortality rate, fewer high-grade complications, and more favorable perioperative outcomes compared with those who underwent ORC.