The incidence of renal cell carcinoma continues to increase with utilization of diagnostic abdominal imaging with migration towards a proportionally greater detection of small renal masses (SRM).
Robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) has become an attractive minimally invasive treatment modality for SRM's due to the technical advantages and shortened learning curve compared to laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) while preserving comparable perioperative outcomes. With advances in ablative approaches for stage I renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and controversy surrounding the role of extirpative surgery for SRM's, systematic understanding of the complications associated with RAPN has become even more imperative. This review aims to summarize and evaluate the contemporary literature, compile reported intraoperative complications, describe conventional and nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) specific postoperative complications, and assess factors associated with an increased likelihood for perioperative complications following RAPN.
Written by:
Kim EH, Larson JA, Figenshau M, Figenshau RS. Are you the author?
Division of Urologic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, 4960 Children's Place, Campus Box 8242, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
Reference: Curr Urol Rep. 2014 Jan;15(1):377.
doi: 10.1007/s11934-013-0377-y
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 24343244
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