Open Access

ARTICLE

Return to work after robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy versus radical retro-pubic prostatectomy

Andrew Salner¹, Ilene Staff², Rene I. Jahiel¹, Keith M. Bellizzi³, Alison Champagne², Joseph Tortora², Alison G. Wong³, Tara McLaughlin⁴, Joseph Wagner⁴

1 Helen & Harry Gray Cancer Center, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
2 Hartford Hospital Research Department, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
3 Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
4 Tallwood Urological and Kidney Institute, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
Address correspondence to Dr. Tara McLaughlin, Urology Division, Hartford Healthcare Medical Group, 85 Seymour Street, Suite 416, Hartford, CT 06106 USA

Canadian Journal of Urology 2019, 26(2), 9708-9714.

Abstract

Introduction: We compared the return-to-work interval (RTWI) after radical retro-pubic prostatectomy (RRP) and robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) in men being treated for early-stage prostate cancer.
Materials and methods: We mailed a 28-item questionnaire to a random sample of 2,696 patients who either had RRP from 1995 to 2004 or RALP from 2004 to 2011.
Results: We received analyzable questionnaires from 315 patients; 178 had RALP and 137 had RRP. The median RTWI was shorter in the RALP group than in the RRP group (3 versus 4 weeks, p = .016). The percent of subjects who had not returned to work 4 weeks after surgery was 23.6% for RALP and 38.2% for RRP (p = .010). In multivariate regression analysis, surgical approach was a significant predictor of RTWI independent of other social/clinical variables that were associated with either surgical approach or RTWI (p = .014).
Conclusion: Our data support a shortening of RTWI by RALP.

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