Comparison of surgical outcome and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome score between retroperitoneoscopic hand-assisted nephroureterectomy and open nephroureterectomy

: The goal of this study is to compare surgical and oncological outcomes of laparoscopic nephroureterectomy and the open surgery using the concept of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in addition to common variables. Thirty-six and 23 patients having upper urinary tract urothelial cancer who were operated on with retroperitoneoscopic hand-assisted nephroureterectomy (RHANU) or standard open nephroureterectomy (ONU) retrospectively, were analyzed. Median operation time was 140 (range 70-200) and 60 (range 45-85) minutes, respectively in the RHANU group and the ONU group. The median days to ambulation and hospital stay of the RHANU group were significantly shorter than those of the ONU group. There was no significant difference in the incidence of SIRS and other surgical results between the two groups. In oncological outcome, no significant difference was found in the bladder recurrence rate (RHANU vs. ONU; 52% vs. 45%), local recurrence (0% vs. 0%), distant metastasis (11% vs. 13%) or survival rate (94% vs. 91%) between the RHANU group and the ONU group at 2-year follow-up. There was no port site recurrence in the RHANU group. Although the RHANU may have an advantage in terms of earlier recovery, there were no significant differences in the incidence of SIRS and oncological outcomes between the RHANU group and the ONU group.