Early experience of robotic-assisted inguinal lymphadenectomy: review of surgical outcomes relative to alternative approaches.

Inguinal lymph node dissection is a diagnostic and potentially curative treatment for penile carcinoma, which has historically been associated with high morbidity rates. This review summarizes the initial outcomes of robotic-assisted inguinal lymphadenectomy (RAIL) compared with the outcomes of the standard open and endoscopic approaches. The early experience suggests that RAIL may yield comparable oncologic outcomes, although future prospective studies of RAIL with greater numbers of participants and long-term follow-up are needed to evaluate the incidence and severity of perioperative and postoperative complications.