Prospective Study on the Safety and Efficacy of Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy With Renal Artery Off-Clamp in the Treatment of cT1 Renal Tumors

In the researchers' words

Renal tumors are common urological cancers, with over 430,000 new cases and more than 170,000 deaths globally in 2020. In China, renal cancer ranks third among urological malignancies, with an increasing incidence. Risk factors include smoking, obesity, hypertension, and family history. Surgery, including partial nephrectomy and radical nephrectomy, is the primary treatment. According to AJCC staging, tumors ≤7 cm confined to the kidney are classified as T1 stage. Studies show no significant difference in cancer-specific survival between partial nephrectomy and radical nephrectomy for T1 tumors, and partial nephrectomy preserves renal function, reducing the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, European guidelines recommend partial nephrectomy for cT1a-b tumors. Partial nephrectomy can be performed via open surgery, laparoscopy, or robotic assistance, each with pros and cons. Robotic or laparoscopic approaches have less blood loss and shorter hospital stays compared to open surgery. A 7-year follow-up shows no significant difference in oncological outcomes. The surgical goal is to remove the tumor with negative margins while preserving normal renal tissue. Factors such as preoperative renal function, ischemia time, extent of normal tissue resection, blood loss, and suturing technique affect postoperative renal function. Renal artery clamping is often…