Laparoscopic nephrectomy in inflammatory renal disease: proposal for a staged approach

The present study shows and discusses the preliminary experience of customized and staged approach in the minimally invasive treatment of inflammatory renal diseases, using either pure laparoscopic surgery or the hand-assisted technique.

We prospectively assessed 17 patients with inflammatory renal diseases operated by laparoscopic approach. Mean age was 41 years and the surgical indication was repeated pyelonephritis in 8 cases, pyonephrosis in 4 cases and renal exclusion due to staghorn stone in 5 cases. The staged laparoscopic approach was chosen based on kidney size and on the presence or not of tomographic findings showing significant perirenal infiltration. Thus, retroperitoneal access was chosen in cases where the kidney was smaller than 12 cm or in the absence of signs of significant perirenal infiltration on the computerized tomography. For the remainder, transperitoneal access was employed.

Of the 17 patients, 11 underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy by retroperitoneal access, and all cases were successful. Mean surgical time was 160 minutes. In 6 cases where the nephrectomy was performed by laparoscopic transperitoneal access, the use of hand assistance was required. Four surgeries were successfully completed with mean time of 190 minutes and 2 were converted to open surgery with mean time of 220 minutes.

The laparoscopic nephrectomy for inflammatory renal disease is feasible, but presents a high degree of complexity, requiring a customized approach. The use of hand assistance is an attractive option when the inflammatory process is intense, and can avoid conversions, maintaining the advantages of minimally invasive treatments.