Purpose: To compare the outcomes of hand-assisted laparoscopic bilateral nephroureterectomy (HALBNU) for dialysis and kidney transplant patients with clinically localized upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UUT-UC) with those achieved by open bilateral nephroureterectomy (OBNU).
Materials and methods: Between 1995 and 2006, 49 patients under dialysis or after kidney transplantation underwent simultaneous bilateral nephroureterectomy for clinically presumed localized UUT-UC at our institute. Of those, 33 underwent HALBNU and 16 received conventional open surgery. Perioperative and pathological data and oncological outcomes were collected by chart review. Bladder recurrence, metastasis, and cancer-specific and overall survival were analyzed and compared between both groups.
Results: The median follow-up for HALBNU and OBNU group was 35 and 46 months, respectively. Totally, 40 patients were identified to have pathologically confirmed urothelial carcinoma of upper urinary tract. HALBNU group was associated with less blood loss, earlier bowel recovery, less narcotic use, shorter hospital stay, and earlier convalescence. The operative time and complication rate were comparable between the two groups. There was no open conversion in the HALBNU group. The two groups were similar in regard to bladder recurrence rate. The overall, cancer-specific, and bladder-recurrence-free survival were also equivalent between the HALBNU and OBNU group (all p > 0.05).
Conclusion: In dialysis and kidney transplant patients with localized UUT-UC, simultaneous bilateral nephroureterectomy with hand-assisted laparoscopic approach offered less perioperative morbidity and, most importantly, comparable intermediate-term oncological and survival results when compared with its open counterpart. A longer follow-up is required to demonstrate the oncological efficacy of this minimally invasive procedure.