I-125 implant of the prostate: a new technique.

Retropubic I-125 implantation of the prostate at the time of suprapubic extraperitoneal pelvic lymphadenectomy is a well-established method of treatment for stages B(2) and early C prostatic cancer. However, there are some technical disadvantages with the retropubic I-125 implant technique, such as inadequate space for proper placement of the needles; bleeding, uncontrollable at times, from the periprostatic venous plexus secondary to insertion of needles into the prostate; and superficial wound infection due to inadvertent puncturing of the bladder and/or rectum by the needles. In this paper the authors describe a new technique which eliminates the technical problems associated with retropubic I-125 implantation of the prostate.