Comparing surgical outcomes between robot-assisted laparoscopic and open partial nephrectomy for allograft kidney tumors: a retrospective, single-center study.

Abstract

Background: Kidney transplantation is considered the best long-term option for patients with end-stage renal disease; however, immunosuppression increases the risk of developing malignancies. Approximately 0.2-0.5% of kidney transplant recipients experience renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in their allografts. Recently, nephron-sparing surgery has become widely accepted because of its favorable survival outcomes and low risk of recurrence.

Methods: In this study, we retrospectively evaluated the peri- and postoperative outcomes of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) and open partial nephrectomy (OPN) for allograft RCC, analyzing five and six patients who underwent OPN and RAPN, respectively, from 1998 to 2023.

Results: The estimated blood loss was significantly lower in the RAPN group than in the OPN group (6.5 mL [interquartile range (IQR): 1-15] vs. 350 mL [IQR: 139-560], P = 0.006), whereas the operative and renal arterial clamping times were similar. Additionally, the perioperative complication rate and severity were lower in the RAPN group, resulting in a significantly shorter postoperative hospital stay than the OPN group (3 days [IQR: 2-5] vs. 10 days [IQR: 8-12], P = 0.01). Postoperative renal function and oncological outcomes were similar between the two groups.

Conclusions: RAPN for allograft RCC demonstrated advantages in terms of estimated blood loss and postoperative hospital stay compared with OPN, even though the patients' backgrounds were not adjusted. Therefore, RAPN may be a viable option for managing T1 allograft tumors.