Fig 1.
Canine cadaver in a severe Trendelenburg position for laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.
Fig 2.
Outside view showing the placement of the single access port and the two 5 mm cannula on the left and right sides of the abdominal cavity.
Fig 3.
A: Dissection on the right side of the prostate. The right ureter is visible (black arrow). B: The urethra is transected between the prostate and the bladder from right to left with Metzembaum scissors. C: The urethra is almost completely transected, and the urinary catheter is visible. D: The ductus deferents have been transected with scissors. E: The left neurovascular pedicle is visible on each side of the prostate (black arrow). F: The dissection between the rectum and the prostate is completed.
Fig 4.
A: The urethra caudal to the prostate is now exposed. B: The urethra is transected caudal to the prostate. C: The urethra is now completely transected, and the urinary catheter is visible. D: The VUA is performed on the dorsal side with a continuous pattern of 4–0 V Loc 90 suture. The suture is placed outside-in in the bladder and inside-out in the urethra. E: The dorsal line of the suture has been completed, and the ventral side is started. F: The VUA is completed (black arrows).
Fig 5.
Bladder and urethra removed from the abdominal cavity with the left (L) and right (R) ureters.
The distance between each ureter and the VUA was measured (black arrow).
Fig 6.
Urethra and bladder have been incised along the long axis to observe the suture line and the apposition of the mucosa.
This VUA was graded as a 2.
Fig 7.
Visualization of the neurovascular bundle on the right side with exposure of the branching in the capsule of the prostate.
Table 1.
Distribution of the spacing grades for the dorsal and the ventral suture lines performed with a 2-D and a 3-D camera.