Comparison of the effects of transperitoneal and retroperitoneal robot-assisted partial nephrectomy

Objective: To compare the effects of transperitoneal and retroperitoneal approaches for robotic assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study on RAPN at Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University. Between September 2020 and February 2024, the included patients underwent either transperitoneal approach or retroperitoneal approach. Perioperative status, stress response, quality of life, and incidence of complications were compared between the groups.

Results: A total of 105 patients were included in this analysis, with 54 patients in the Retroperitoneal group, and 51 patients in the Transperitoneal group. The retroperitoneal approach was associated with significantly better perioperative indicators compared to the transperitoneal method (P<0.05). After the surgery, serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell count (WBC), and cortisol (Cor) in the Retroperitoneal group were lower than in the Transperitoneal group (P<0.05). The quality-of-life scores of patients in the Retroperitoneal group were higher (P<0.05), but no statistically significant difference in the incidence of complications between the groups (P>0.05).

Conclusions: Compared with the transperitoneal approach, the retroperitoneal method of RAPN is equally safe and is associated with improved perioperative status, lower stress response, and better quality of life for RCC patients.