Outcomes Following Radical Inguinal Lymphadenectomy for Penile Cancer Using a Fascial-Sparing Surgical Technique

To describe our surgical technique and report the oncological outcomes and complication rates using a fascial-sparing radical inguinal lymphadenectomy (RILND) technique for penile cancer patients with cN+ disease in the inguinal lymph nodes. Over a 10-year period, 660 fascial-sparing RILND procedures were performed in 421 patients across two specialist penile cancer centres. The technique used a subinguinal incision with an ellipse of skin excised over any palpable nodes. Identification and preservation of the Scarpa’s and Camper’s fascia was the first step. All superficial inguinal nodes were removed en bloc under this fascial layer with preservation of the subcutaneous veins and fascia lata. The saphenous vein was spared where possible. Patient characteristics, oncologic outcomes and perioperative morbidity were retrospectively collected and analysed. Kaplan–Meier curves estimated the cancer-specific survival (CSS) functions after the procedure. Median (interquartile range, IQR) follow-up was 28 (14–90) months. A median (IQR) number of 8.0 (6.5–10.5) nodes were removed per groin. A total of 153 postoperative complications (36.1