SEER-Medicare analysis finds lower urinary adverse events after robotic vs open prostatectomy
Retrospective · Transl Androl Urol · 2026-11-08. Number 5 in the UrologyWatch Top 5 for November 11, 2026.
In a SEER-Medicare cohort of 17,441 beneficiaries aged 66+, robot-assisted radical prostatectomy was associated with lower urinary adverse events than non-robotic approaches (7.7% vs 15.3%), driven mainly by bladder outlet and ureteral obstruction; incontinence rates did not differ, and the association was not detectable beyond 3 years.
Why it matters: Hypothesis generating only; claims-based SEER-Medicare data lack granular surgical and pathologic detail and cannot establish causality for approach selection.
Source: Transl Androl Urol · PubMed 42997183 · DOI 10.21037/tau-2026-0594
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