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The RRP & the RPP:
TWO TYPES OF PROSTATECTOMY
From the American Cancer Society.
There are two main types of radical prostatectomy -- radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) and radical perineal prostatectomy (RPP).
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In the retropubic operation, the surgeon makes a skin incision in the lower abdomen. The surgeon can remove lymph nodes during this operation through the same incision. A nerve-sparing radical retropubic prostatectomy (NSRRP) is a modification of this operation. During this procedure, the surgeon can examine the small bundles of nerves on either side of the prostate gland. If it appears that the cancer has not spread to these nerves, the surgeon can spare them. Because these are the nerves that are needed for erections, leaving them intact lowers (but not eliminates) the risk of impotence following surgery.
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location of incision for radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP)
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The radical perineal prostatectomy removes the prostate through an incision in the skin between the scrotum and anus. Nerve-sparing operations are more difficult to perform by this approach and lymph nodes cannot be removed through this incision. If lymph node examination is needed for men having this operation, the surgeon can remove some lymph nodes through a very small skin incision in the abdomen by using a laparoscope (a narrow lighted tube).
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location of incision for radical perineal prostatectomy (RPP)
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