Total pelvic exenteration (TPE) is a highly invasive surgery associated with high rates of perioperative morbidity and mortality and is commonly performed for several types of locally advanced or recurrent pelvic cancers. It involves multivisceral resection, including the rectum, sigmoid colon, bladder, prostate, uterus, vagina, or ovaries, and urologists normally perform radical cystectomy or radical prostatectomy and urinary diversion in collaboration with colorectal surgeons and gynecologists. In the urological field, robot-assisted surgeries have been widely performed as one of the main minimally invasive procedures because of their superior perioperative or oncological outcomes compared to open or laparoscopic surgeries. In pelvic exenteration (PE) surgery, laparoscopic surgeries have shown superior rates of mortality, morbidity, and R0 resection compared to open surgeries. Robot-assisted TPE for the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer was first reported in 2014, and reports of its safety and usefulness have gradually increased. Robot-assisted PE, in which multivisceral resection in a narrow pelvic space is easier, will eventually be a standard minimally invasive procedure, although evidence has been limited to date. This clinical practice review summarizes the indications for surgery, perioperative complications, and oncological outcomes of robot-assisted TPE and highlights the current status of robot-assisted TPE for patients with urological malignancies and its surgical technique, focusing on the manipulation of urological organs.
Keywords: Cystectomy; pelvic exenteration (PE); prostatectomy; robotic surgery.
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