Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma: a five-year experience

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Surgical Oncology
• Minimally Invasive Surgery

Background:

• Small renal cell carcinoma (RCC) necessitates effective treatment strategies.
• Radical nephrectomy is a standard treatment for localized RCC.
• Minimally invasive surgical techniques are increasingly explored for oncological procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the clinical outcomes of laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (LRN) versus open radical nephrectomy (ORN).
• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of LRN for small (less than 5 cm) renal cell carcinoma.
• To assess patient recovery and oncological control following both surgical approaches.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study of 100 patients with localized, small RCC.
• 60 patients underwent LRN, and 40 patients underwent ORN by the same surgical team.
• LRN approaches included transperitoneal and retroperitoneal routes.

Main Results:

• LRN had a longer operative time (5.2 vs. 3.3 hours) but significantly less blood loss (255 vs. 512 mL) compared to ORN.
• Patients undergoing LRN experienced a shorter time to full convalescence (23 vs. 57 days).
• Five-year disease-free rates were comparable (95.5% for LRN vs. 97.5% for ORN).

Conclusions:

• Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy is a viable and less invasive alternative to open surgery for localized small renal cell carcinoma.
• LRN demonstrates advantages in reduced blood loss and faster patient recovery.
• Oncological outcomes for LRN are comparable to traditional open surgery for this patient group.