The Role of Enhanced Recovery in Robotic Cystectomy

Abstract

There have been a number of articles recently examining pain within enhanced recovery [1, 2]. This clearly highlighted the patients enhanced recovery pathway after open surgery. It has a number of factors contributing to their recovery [1]. This included significantly fewer opioid analgesics, possibly contributing to decreased postoperative ileus and shorter length of hospital stay. In today’s’ world, the focus seems to be on robotic surgery as the driving force behind shorter recovery periods and day case surgery [3]. However, appropriate patient selection may be true in prostate surgery; the same cannot be said for robotic cystectomy. With a far wider resectional area and greater stress response, appropriate patient selection beforehand and support afterwards is a key to good patient outcomes.