Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) is an established treatment option for patients with prostate cancer in selected centres with appropriate expertise. The goal of LRP is to achieve excellent cancer control whilst attempting to preserve normal urinary continence and erectile function. We studied our single-centre experience evaluating the oncological outcomes in patients undergoing LRP.

Three hundred and six patients underwent LRP between 2005 and 2011. Patients were divided into D’Amico low-, intermediate- and high-risk groups.

The mean age was 61.9 years (range 46–74 years). The two most important factors predictive of positive surgical margins (PSMs) at LRP were the initial prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level and tumour stage at diagnosis. The overall PSM rate was 26.7%. For low D’Amico-risk patients, the PSM was 24.5%, intermediate-risk patients had a PSM of 32.4%, while high-risk patients had a PSM of 13.6%; 6.4% (nine of 139) of patients sampled had evidence of lymph node-positive disease. Five-year PSA progression-free survival rates were 83% in low-risk patients, 57% in intermediate-risk and 41% in high-risk patients.

LRP offers good oncological outcomes in the low- and intermediate-risk groups with low incidence of biochemical recurrence for patients with localised disease. Our high-risk group has a low incidence of PSM and a five-year PSA progression-free survival rate of 41%. Patients with high-risk, but non-metastatic, prostate cancer can be offered a minimally invasive prostatectomy in an experienced centre.