Current status, evolution, and future perspectives in robotic platform systems for prostate cancer treatment: a narrative review

Abstract

Background and objective: Robotic surgery has contributed greatly to the shift from traditional surgery to minimally invasive surgery. Urology is the major field of application of robotic surgery. Several urological procedures, especially radical prostatectomy, benefit from the use of robotic surgery.

Methods: Non-systematic research of the literature was performed using "Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy" and "Robotic platforms" as keywords to understand the actual situation and the future perspectives of this technology in prostate cancer treatment.

Key content and findings: The robotic platform landscape is constantly evolving. DaVinci has always been the mainstay in this field, particularly after the advent of the new single port platforms. New platforms are emerging, providing an alternative option to the well-known DaVinci system. Since in literature, few studies compare the use of different robotic platforms, their application in urological procedures is not yet widely used, for both oncological and non-oncological procedures. Furthermore, artificial intelligence begins to play a role in this landscape and could be useful for future developments. So further studies are warranted to give a full comprehension of the whole scenario.

Conclusions: This review aims to analyze the current state of the use of robotic platforms in urology, particularly in radical prostatectomy, and to understand the evolution.

Keywords: DaVinci systems; Radical prostatectomy; robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP); robotic platforms.