Routine frozen-section biopsy from the surgical bed should be performed during nephron-sparing surgery for renal cell carcinoma

Objective It has been reported in recent studies that nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) is as effective as radical nephrectomy (RN) for pT1a and pT1b renal cell carcinoma (RCC). In order to decrease the rate of tumor recurrence, resection of a small amount of normal parenchyma surrounding the tumor is widely recommended. Although a 0.5–1.5-cm wide resection margin is recommended no agreement has been reached concerning the thickness of the surgical margin. In this study we tried to determine whether routine frozen-section biopsy from the surgical bed is mandatory during NSS for RCC. Material and methods The study involved 19 renal units of 18 patients who underwent partial nephrectomy for solid renal tumors (<7 cm) at different centers in Ankara. Hypothermic ischemia was instituted after placing the kidney in an intestinal bag full of ice slush and cross-clamping the renal artery. In all cases an ≈1-cm margin of normal tissue was removed with the tumor. Then, intraoperatively, at least three frozen-section bi...