Pure laparoscopic radical nephrectomy and thrombectomy for renal tumors with renal vein and vena caval thrombus

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of using pure laparoscopic radical nephrectomy and thrombectomy to treat renal tumor with renal vein and vena caval thrombus. Methods Two ca-ses o{ right renal tumor with renal vein and vena caval thrombus were reported. Contrast-enchanced CT showed renal tumor extended into renal vein and vena cava in 1 case, and filling defect was found in right renal vein and extended to vena cava in the other. Both patients received pure laparoscopic ra-dical nephrectomy and thrombectomy through retroperitoneal approach. Four trocars were placed du-ring the operation, and the renal artery was dissected before the vena cava was mobilized circumferen-tially above and below the renal vein, a faparoscopic vessel blockage clamp was used to partly occlude the vena cava containing the thrombus. The vena cava was repaired after the intact tumor thrombus was extracted. Results The tumor thrombus extended 0.3 cm and 1.0 cm above the renal vein, re-spectively. Both patients were discharged 5 d after operation. Pathological examinations showed that tumors were epithelioid renal angiomyolipoma and grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ clear cell carcinoma separately. Both patients were free of local recurrence and metastasis 5 months after operation. Conclusion Pure la- paroscopic radical nephrectomy and thrombectomy for renal tumor with vena caval and renal vein thrombus is feasible in carefully selected patients. Key words: Kidney neoplasms; Angiomyolipoma; Carcinoma; Thrombus