RADICAL PERINEAL VS RETROPUBIC PROSTATECTOMY - A REVIEW OF OPTIMAL APPLICATION AND TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN THE UTILIZATION OF THESE EXPOSURES

Radical prostatectomy can be performed either with a retropubic or per ineal approach. While the former has enjoyed popularity in recent year s, perineal prostatectomy has undergone a substantial resurgence becau se of interest in laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy. The advantages and disadvantages of each are defined, as well as technical modificati ons that have been developed seeking to diminish problems with each ap proach. While many urologic surgeons are no longer familiar with the p erineal approach, its potential advantages, particularly in certain si tuations, would suggest that it can be a valuable component of the uro -oncologist's surgical armamentarium for the management of localized p rostate cancer.