Long-term assessment of renal function following nephrectomy for stage I renal carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the impact of nephrectomy on renal function in people who are potential candidates for nephron sparing surgery, i.e. partial nephrectomy.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis was carried out of 109 patients (35 women, 74 men) who had undergone a nephrectomy for stage I renal carcinoma at the University of Michigan between 1960 and 1979. All patients had a functioning contralateral kidney and had undergone at least one post-operative serum creatinine evaluation. Statistical analysis was by Pearson's correlation coefficient.


RESULTS
One individual developed a transitional cell carcinoma in the remaining renal pelvis and was treated with nephroureterectomy. No other patient progressed to dialysis. Five patients had post-operative serum creatinine levels from 221 to 354 mumol/l, one of whom had undergone both a nephrectomy and a partial nephrectomy for bilateral renal tumours. The remaining four had renal disease including diabetes, hypertension, pyelonephritis and renal artery stenosis. There was a strong association between pre-operative and post-operative serum creatinine values.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with low stage renal tumours and a normal contralateral kidney are at low risk of progression to renal failure.
Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
H B
HB
Grossman
D
D
Sommerfield
J W
JW
Konnak
J
J
Bromberg
D000368:Aged; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery*; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009392:Nephrectomy; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D003404:Creatinine