[Esthetic and functional results of the transperitoneal laparoscopic approach in nephrectomy]

To evaluate the aesthetic and functional sequelae of laparoscopic transperitoneal nephrectomy.

Twenty-one laparoscopic transperitoneal nephrectomies were performed between 1996 and 1999. Four trocars were used in 9 patients and 3 trocars were used in 12 patients. In all patients of the series, nephrectomy was performed without manual assistance and the kidney was extracted from the iliac fossa after enlarging a trocar orifice. A questionnaire evaluating the aesthetic sequelae of the operation, resumption of everyday activities and the patient's general satisfaction was sent to each patient by mail.

17 patients completed the questionnaire after a mean follow-up of 12.2 months (range: 2 to 33 months). Scars were cosmetically satisfactory in 100% of cases, painless in 100% of cases and were considered to be invisible in 58.8% of cases. All patients were satisfied with the operation, but only 70.6% would have recommended this procedure to a friend or relative. 57.1% of the patients hospitalised for less than 5 days considered the hospital stay to be too brief and 42.9% considered it to be barely sufficient. Time to resumption of everyday activity varied considerably (7 to 70 days) with a mean of 32 days and was not correlated with operative complications.

Laparoscopic transperitoneal nephrectomy achieves good aesthetic and functional results, but patients are not satisfied with the short hospital stay. Resumption of everyday activity does not appear to depend on the postoperative course.