Laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy for prostatic cancer.

Development of laparoscopic techniques has converted lymphadenectomy into a real alternative to current laparotomy technique. The limitation of diagnostic imaging methods to know ganglion involvement in prostate cancer as well the high incidence of false negatives in frozen intrasurgical biopsies following open-surgery lymphadenectomy has pushed us since november of 1990 to develop laparoscopic lymphadenectomy with staging. This study analyses the diverse diagnostic imaging methods and continues with a precise description of the laparoscopic technique. The authors summarize the results of our series and finish the article with a review of the most controversial aspects as well as the diagnostic value, advantages and disadvantages with respect to open surgery techniques, complications and indications of this technique at the present moment.