Traditionally, RARP is performed using a trans-peritoneal technique that pass anteriorly to the bladder. This technique necessitates the dissection and/or manipulation of many structures, which might compromise post-operative urinary continence recovery. These structures include the pubo-prostatic ligament, Santorini plexus, neurovascular bundle, and veil of Aphrodite. Recently, a "Retzius-sparing" technique to perform RARP has beed described. This approach passes posteriorly to the bladder, through the space of Douglas, which should minimize the damaged to the aforementioned structure. Theoretically, the latter technique should improve post-operative urinary continence recovery. However, a randomized comparison between the "traditional" RARP and "Retzius-sparing" RARP is still lacking.
