Review of the use of prophylactic drain tubes post-robotic radical prostatectomy: Dogma or decent practice?

Abstract

Objective: To assess the necessity of routine prophylactic drain tube use following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Method: We performed a literature review using the Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science databases with no restriction of language from January 1900 to January 2020. The following terms we used in the literature search: prostatectomy, radical prostatectomy, robot assisted, drainage, and drain tube. Results: We identified six studies that examined the use of routine prophylactic drain tubes following RARP. One of these studies was a randomized study that included 189 patients, with 97 in the pelvic drain (PD) arm and 92 in the no pelvic drain (ND) arm. This non-inferi..