OBJECTIVETo evaluate the incidence and severity of perioperative complications in elderly patients with radical prostatectomy (RP).

METHODSA total of 242 patents underwent RP for prostate cancer were retrospectively assessed, whose clinicopathologic factors and perioperative complications were retrieved from the medical records. The mean age in the elderly group (n = 163) and control group (n = 79) were (73.2 ± 2.4) and (63.2 ± 4.8) years, respectively. The clinicopathologic factors including Charlson comorbidity index and preoperative prostate specific antigen were statistically significant different. The difference of clinicopathologic factors and perioperative complications between the elderly group (≥ 70 years old) and control group were statistically analyzed using the SPSS 17.0.

RESULTSThe incidence of perioperative complications was 23.5% in the elderly group and 22.7% in the control group. Except for gross hematuria (there were 12 cases in elderly group and 1 case in control group, respectively, χ(2) = 3.89, P < 0.05) and perioperative transfusion (there were 36 cases in elderly group and 7 cases in control group, respectively, χ(2) = 6.37, P < 0.05), there was no significant difference in each kind or total of perioperative complications.

CONCLUSIONThe elderly patients underwent RP in experienced center are not associated with higher or more serious perioperative complications.