Lymphatic staging by laparoscopic surgery

Lymphadenectomy is mandatory in vesical and prostatic tumours for a precise staging of candidates to radical surgery. Presentation of our series of 18 ilioobturative lymphadenectomies between May 1992 and February 1993, performed in 14 prostate carcinoma and 4 vesical tumours. As most interesting results, the average number of nodes removed, which was 8, and the discovery of nodular affectation in 5 cases, understaged by the non-invasive procedures, are highlighted; likewise, the reduction in surgery duration up to the current frame of 80 to 120 minutes must be emphasized. Mortality due to the procedure was null. We believe that laparoscopic lymphadenectomy should be the choice technique in the staging of tumoral dissemination in the ilioobturative domain.