Seperation of dorsal vein complex from the urethra by blunt finger dissection during radical retropubic prostatectomy

We present our initial experience on the isolation of dorsal vein complex by blunt finger dissection in 26 patients with localised prostate cancer who underwent open retropubic radical prostatectomy. Loss of blood was between 300 and 500 mL (mean 350 mL). Two of 26 patients (7.6%) required blood transfusion. There was no positive surgical margin at prostatic apex in the patients. Twenty four of our patients (92.4%) were continent on the 3rd month. Control of dorsal vein complex is very important to decrease blood loss and to improve intraoperative exposure of retropubic area in order to get negative margin of prostatic apex and to provide the urethra long enough for a nice urethrovesical anastomosis. According to our initial experience, this technique seems to provide these aims.