Critical Care Therapy After Cytoreductive Nephrectomy for Metastatic Kidney Cancer

Objectives: To examine critical care therapy rates after cytoreductive nephrectomy in metastatic kidney cancer patients.

Design, setting, and patients: Relying on the National Inpatient Sample (2000-2019), we addressed critical care therapy use (total parenteral nutrition, invasive mechanical ventilation, renal replacement therapy, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube insertion, and tracheostomy) and in-hospital mortality in surgically treated metastatic kidney cancer patients. Estimated annual percentage changes and multivariable logistic regression models were fitted.

Interventions: None.

Measurements and main results: Of 10,915 patients, 802 (7.3%) received critical care therapy and 249 (2.4%) died in-hospital. Over time, critical care therapy rates did not differ significantly (6.6% in 2000 to 5.7% in 2019; p = 0.07), while in-hospital mortality decreased from 2.3% to 1.9% (p = 0.004). Age 71 years old or older (odds ratio [OR], 1.43; p < 0.001) and higher comorbidity burden (Charlson Comorbidity Index [CCI] ≥ 3: OR, 2.92; p < 0.001 and CCI 1-2: OR, 1.45; p < 0.001) independently predicted higher critical care therapy rates. Conversely, partial nephrectomy (OR, 0.51; p = 0.003) and minimally invasive surgery (OR, 0.33; p < 0.001) predicted lower critical care therapy rates. Virtually the same associations were recorded for in-hospital mortality.

Conclusions: After cytoreductive nephrectomy, critical care therapy rate was 7.3% vs. in-hospital mortality was 2.4%. Of patients at highest risk of critical care therapy need were those with CCI greater than or equal to 3 and those 71 years old or older. Ideally, these patients should represent targets for thorough assessment of risk factors for complications before cytoreductive nephrectomy.