Open Nephron Sparing Surgery for T1a Renal Tumors: Clinical Experience in an Emerging Country

Nephron sparing surgery has become the standard treatment for small renal masses particularly in Western Europe, but in countries like Kosovo, the experience is much more limited. Our aim is to report our initial experience in managing small renal masses with nephron sparing surgery (NSS).

This is a retrospective study of patients who underwent Open Partial Nephrectomy (OPN) at our Clinic of Urology between January 2000 and December 2015.

Of 216 patients with renal tumors, 33 underwent OPN. 11 (33%) were female and 22 (67%) were male. The mean kidney tumor size was 3.2 cm (range 3.1-4.0). The patients median age was 46 years (rage 24-61). The indications were elective in 29 cases and relative is 4 cases. There were no intra-operative complications and the post-operative complications were minimal. After a median follow-up of 34 months (range 24-41) there were no local recurrences or late complications.

Well recognized modern guidelines on the treatment of small renal masses indicate the use of nephron sparing surgery. Our urological community needs to implement these guidelines and our urologists need to be provided with the necessary education and training and emerging treatment strategy.

Patients with small renal masses that are amenable for a technically and oncologically safe partial nephrectomy, even in presence of a normal contralateral kidney, should undergo nephron sparing surgery. This we showed to be feasible to provide excellent tumor control.