Addition of a surgery-specific module to a perioperative, telemedicine program for improving functional outcomes after radical prostatectomy: a prospective, multicenter, non-randomized study.

Background: Digital perioperative programs offer promising solutions to overcome organizational constraints of traditional prehabilitation, potentially improving recovery while reducing healthcare burden and costs. We aimed to assess the impact of adding a surgery-specific module to an optimized digital perioperative program on improving functional outcomes after radical prostatectomy (RP).

Methods: This was a multicentre, prospective, comparative, non-randomized trial including consecutive robot-assisted RP. Intervention was the implementation of the Betty (Better Surgery) coaching program combined with the activation of a RP-specific pre- and rehabilitation module. The primary endpoint was continence recovery, defined as "0 or 1 safety pad per day" at 6 weeks after surgery. Secondary endpoints were mid-term continence, need for postoperative physiotherapy, erectile function, complications, and readmissions.

Results: A total of 177 and 156 RP cases were included in the control and experimental groups. Baseline and pathological variables were statistically comparable between groups. The mean patient age and PSA were 65.3 years and 11 ng/ml, respectively. At 6 weeks after RP, 83.3% of patients following the digital program were continent, as compared with 68.4% in the control group (p = 0.002). The need for postoperative physiotherapy for persistent incontinence was significantly reduced in the digital program group (27.5%, versus 58.8%, p < 0.001). Patients who followed the digital program experienced lower complications although not statistically significant (p = 0.1), unplanned visits (p = 0.025), reoperation rates (p = 0.025), more same-day discharge surgery (p = 0.030), and higher satisfaction (9.4/10 versus 8.3/10, p < 0.001). The main limitation was the absence of randomization.

Conclusions: Besides the benefits provided by the perioperative digital program, the addition of a pre- and rehabilitation module, including surgery-specific content, significantly improved functional recovery after RP and perioperative outcomes.