RADICAL RETROPUBIC PROSTATECTOMY. HOW OFTEN DO EXPERIENCED SURGEONS HAVE POSITIVE SURGICAL MARGINS WHEN THERE IS EXTRAPROSTATIC EXTENSION IN THE REGION OF THE NEUROVASCULAR BUNDLE?

Visual and tactile assessment during open surgery by an experienced surgeon provides valuable information on when and where it is safe to preserve the neurovascular bundle in patients with EPE in the region of the NVB. Surgical approaches in which tactile sensation is muted or absent, laparoscopic and robotic, need to undergo a similar evaluation to determine whether magnification of the operative field is sufficient to overcome the lack of haptic feedback and ability to palpate the tissue.