Current status of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

The incidence of incidentally diagnosed small renal masses is rising. Although open partial nephrectomy (OPN) remains the reference standard for clinically localized renal lesions, growing experience with minimally invasive PN has demonstrated equivalent oncologic efficacy and improved short-term perioperative outcomes compared to open techniques. Compared to the technically demanding laparoscopic PN (LPN), robotic PN (RPN) overcomes a number of the technical hurdles of LPN with a shorter learning curve, and now has emerged as an attractive minimally invasive treatment option for amenable tumors. Although experience with RPN has been limited to date, early series have demonstrated short-term oncologic outcomes comparable to OPN and equivalent perioperative outcomes to LPN (all ≤ level III evidence). Although prospective evidence would be ideal, clinical trial comparisons with LPN and OPN will be fraught with accrual challenges and are not expected in the near future. This review summarizes the advantages and indications for a robotic approach, operative principles and emerging technologies, early functional and oncologic outcomes, and expected future advances of RPN for localized renal tumors.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)24-37
Number of pages14
JournalCurrent Urology Reports
Volume13
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2012

Keywords

  • Kidney cancer
  • Laparoscopy
  • Minimally invasive surgery
  • Nephrectomy
  • Nephrometry score
  • Outcomes
  • Partial nephrectomy
  • Radical nephrectomy
  • Renal cell carcinoma
  • Robotics
  • Small renal mass
  • Surgery

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