Complications Of Laparoscopic Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection

Patients with stage I nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCT) have several treatment options, including surveillance, chemotherapy, and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) [1]. The primary, and often only, site of metastasis in NSGCT is the retroperitoneal lymph nodes. Fifteen to forty percent of patients are clinically understaged, despite improvement in radiographic techniques. Open RPLND is the standard of care for staging and treatment. With advances in surgical technique, perioperative morbidity and mortality have been minimized, but up to 70% of patients undergoing RPLND receive no therapeutic benefit [2]. This outcome makes the minimally invasive approach a sensible option.