Laparoscopic nephrectomy for polycystic kidney: comparison of the transperitoneal and retroperitoneal approaches

To evaluate and compare perioperative outcomes in patients undergoing either transperitoneal (TP) or retroperitoneal (RP) laparoscopic nephrectomy for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD).

All patients with ADPKD who underwent unilateral laparoscopic nephrectomy between 2000 and 2012 in two academic departments were retrospectively included. The perioperative parameters were compared between the TP and RP groups.

A total of 82 patients were included, 43 patients in the TP group and 39 in the RP group. The patients' characteristics were similar between TP set and RP set, except for the time from dialysis onset to nephrectomy (p = 0.02). Complication rates (25.6 vs 33.3 %, p = 0.44), transfusion rates (11.6 vs 20.5 %, p = 0.27) and conversion to open surgery (4.6 vs 7.7 %, p = 0.56) were similar between the TP and RP groups, respectively. Operative time was shorter for TP procedures (171.6 vs 210.5 min, p = 0.002), but there was no difference between the two approaches after 20 surgeries (p = 0.06). Patients in TP group had a shorter length of hospital stay (5.3 ± 1.9 vs 7.2 ± 2.5 days, p = 0.002). However, there was a trend towards shorter return of bowel function in the RP group (2.1 ± 0.9 vs 2.4 ± 0.8 days, p = 0.09).

TP and RP laparoscopic nephrectomies provide good outcomes in patients with ADPKD. The choice of a TP route could decrease the length of hospital stay and the operative time during the beginning of the learning curve period.