Robotic partial nephrectomy: An initial experience in 25 consecutive cases

Abstract Objective To report our initial experience with robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN) in a series of 25 consecutively operated patients. Material and methods A series of 25 consecutive patients who underwent RPN from April 2010 to February 2011 were studied. We used the da Vinci S HD robotic system with transperitoneal approach. Total renal hilum control was used for 22 cases and 3 patients underwent selective renal parenchymal compression with an ad hoc device. Results Mean age was 55.8 years (26–77) with a male/female ratio of 2:1. Mean operative time was 117.6 min (54–205) and the warm ischemia time was 20.2 min (9–34). Mean estimated blood loss was 440 ml (20–2000) and the mean tumor size was 3.25 cm (1–5.3). Five patients (20%) had complications, the most frequent being intraoperative bleeding (Clavien II). There was no conversion to open or laparoscopic surgery. Mean hospital stay was 3.5 days (1–7). The pathological study revealed renal cell carcinoma in 19 cases and benign lesions in 6 patients. There were no positive surgical margins and no mortality. Conclusions Our preliminary results show that RPN is a feasible surgical approach in small-sized renal tumors.