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Reducing blood loss in open radical retropubic prostatectomy with prophylactic periprostatic sutures
Author(s) -
Carvalhal Gustavo F.,
Griffin Christopher R.,
Kan Donghui,
Loeb Stacy,
Catalona William J.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
bju international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.773
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1464-410X
pISSN - 1464-4096
DOI - 10.1111/j.1464-410x.2009.09034.x
Subject(s) - medicine , radical retropubic prostatectomy , neurovascular bundle , blood loss , surgery , prostatectomy , dissection (medical) , blood transfusion , fibrous joint , prostate , urology , anesthesia , cancer
Study Type – Therapy (case series)
Level of Evidence 4 OBJECTIVE To determine whether the placement of small‐calibre, rapidly absorbed prophylactic periprostatic sutures before the mobilization of the prostate could reduce blood loss during open retropubic radical prostatectomy (RRP). PATIENTS AND METHODS In 2007, during open RRP, we began placing prophylactic haemostatic sutures of 4‐0 and 3‐0 plain catgut in the anterior portions of the distal neurovascular bundles (NVBs) and lateral to the proximal NVBs and prostate pedicles before initiating the nerve‐sparing dissection and mobilizing the prostate gland. To evaluate whether this reduced intraoperative blood loss, we compared estimated blood loss (EBL), non‐autologous transfusion rates, and postoperative haemoglobin (Hb) levels between 100 consecutive patients treated immediately before and 100 consecutive patients treated immediately after the adoption of the prophylactic periprostatic suture technique. RESULTS Before the use of prophylactic haemostatic sutures, the mean intraoperative blood loss was 1285 mL, and one patient (1%) received an intraoperative non‐autologous transfusion. After the adoption of prophylactic sutures, the mean EBL was 700 mL ( P < 0.001), and there were no transfusions. The mean Hb concentration the morning after RRP was 10.9 g/dL before and 11.8 g/dL after the initiation of prophylactic haemostatic sutures ( P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Prophylactic periprostatic haemostatic sutures significantly reduce intraoperative blood loss during open RRP.