Transabdominal radical nephrectomy in ninety-one consecutive patients with Wilms' tumor

Ninety-one children that were subjected to transabdominal radical nephrectomy are reviewed. The patients' ages ranged from 20 days to 10 years. Forty cases had a right side tumor and 44 a left side tumor; bilateral tumor incidence was 7.70% (7 cases). The tumor weight incidence was 75% for greater than or equal to 500 g and 37.5% for greater than or equal to 1,000 g. Incidence of local extension of the disease was 21.98%. Intraoperative complications were 12 ruptures of the kidney capsule, 1 laceration of the cecum, 1 opening of the pleura, 1 section of the superior mesenteric artery, and 1 section of the right common iliac artery. The mortality rate in unilateral surgery, because of intraoperative massive hemorrhage, was 3/83 (3.61%). One patient with bilateral tumor died because of acute renal insufficiency and sepsis. One patient with caval thrombus which extended up to the right atrium died because of intraoperative massive pulmonary embolism.