Laparoscopic nephrectomy in a general hospital

Abstract

Objective: To  report the findings of laparoscopic nephrectomies in patients with malignant, benignant and donor conditions. Methods: A retrospective case series carried-out at Cayetano Heredia Hospital between August 2013 and May 2019. Patients with non-functioning kidneys of any etiology and contra lateral kidney functioning were included. Patients with severe pionephrosis were excluded. Demographic, clinical, body mass index, etiology of the nonfunctioning kidney, conversion rate, laterality, operating time, histopathology of the resected kidneys, complications, need for blood transfusion, hospital stay and clinical evolution. Results: 70 patients were evaluated; in 39 (55.8%) a simple laparoscopy for benign entities was performed; in 23 (32.8%) a radical nephrectomy for cancer was performed and in 8 (11.4%) a laparoscopy was performed for living donors. In 7 patients the laparoscopic procedure converted into open surgery. Mean operating time was 188.94 ± 33.41 min.  Main histopathological findings were chronic pyelonephritis and renal carcinoma. Complications by Clavien classification were: Grade I: 21(30%), II: 9(12.8%) and V: 1(1.4%). Mean hospital stay was 4.66 ± 2.97 days; 85.7% had good clinical evolution. Conclusion: Laparoscopic nephrectomy for benign and malignant conditions as well as for kidney donors is a minimally invasive technique which is reproducible, safe, effective and therefore represents an alternative to open surgery.