Laparoscopic transperitoneal radical nephrectomy for treating of renal cell carcinoma

Purpose: Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy has emerged as a feasible treatment option for patients with clinically localized renal cell carcinoma. We evaluated the clinical efficacy and oncologic safety of laparoscopic radical nephrectomy. Materials and Methods: Between April 2004 and October 2005, 31 laparoscopic radical nephrectomies were performed for clinically localized, stages cT1/2 NXMX, pathologically confirmed renal cell carcinoma. The clinical parameters including the operative time and the learning curve, the estimated blood loss, the postoperative hospital stay and the recurrence rate were evaluated. Results: All procedures were completed laparoscopically via transperitoneal approach. There were no complications. The mean operative time was 140.6 minutes (range: 80-270) and the mean blood loss was 230.4ml (range: 30-800). The mean postoperative hospital stay was 4.9 days (range: 3-9) and all patients had satisfactory outcomes with objective cure on the follow up imaging studies. No patient had laparoscopic port site, wound or renal fossa tumor recurrence during the follow up periods (mean: 13 months). Conclusions: Laparoscopic transperitoneal radical nephrectomy can be a safe and effective treatment. It could be considered as a primary procedure for treating localized renal cell carcinoma.