Outcomes of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma at Kawasaki Medical School Hospital

Robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) was introduced in our hospital for treating small renal cell carcinoma in May 2018; we examined treatment outcomes in 24 patients (25 kidneys) who had undergone this procedure till 2019. The median observation period was 11 months (range, 1-17 months). The patients’ age range was 43-77 years (median, 68 years). Fourteen men and 10 women underwent the procedure. Their BMI was 17.9-39.7 (median, 24.1) kg/m. In one patient, RAPN was performed twice at different times for treating bilateral renal cancer. The right kidney was affected in 12 cases and the left kidney in 13 cases. The clinical cancer stage was T1a in 20 cases and T1b in 5 cases. Tumor sizes were 0.9-6.2 cm (median, 2.5 cm), and RENAL nephrometry scores were 4-10 (median, 7). The transperitoneal approach was used in 22 cases, and the retroperitoneal approach in 3. The operating durations were 147358 min (median, 225 min), console durations were 59-394 min (median, 152 min), and renal ischemia durations were 8-54 min (median, 21 min). Blood loss was 10-700 ml (median 10 ml), and none of the patients underwent blood transfusion. The histopathological analysis of the resected tumors revealed clear cell renal cell carcinoma in 20 cases, chromophobe renal cell carcinoma in 2 cases, and papillary renal cell carcinoma, angiomyolipoma, and leiomyoma in 1 case each. All margins were negative. The postoperative hospital stay lengths were 5-14 days (median, 9 days). The postoperative deterioration in renal function was mild, and there were no severe complications. In the early stages after its introduction, RAPN was safely performed and allowed for the preservation of renal function. We plan to continue studying more cases going forward. doi:10.11482/KMJ-E202046027 (Accepted on March 4, 2020)