title: Is the laparoscopic approach justified in patients with xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGP) is an atypical form of chronic renal infection. The treatment of choice is open nephrectomy, which is challenging, given the extent of the disease and the not uncommon involvement of the renal hilum and contiguous structures. We compared our experience with laparoscopic nephrectomy for histologically confirmed XGP with the open approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  Review of all nephrectomy specimens at Washington University School of Medicine from July 1990 to March 1998 disclosed 9 patients with a pathologic diagnosis of unilateral XGP, of whom 5 patients underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy and 4 underwent open nephrectomy. XGP was suspected preoperatively in 56% of the patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For the laparoscopic group, the average operating room time was 360 minutes, average blood loss was 260 mL, and complications occurred in 60% of patients (1 conversion to open, 1 ileus, 1 pulmonary embolus). For the open group, the average operating room time was 154 minutes, average blood loss was 438 mL, and there were no complications. Both groups were similar regarding time to oral intake, analgesia requirement, hospital stay, and time to complete recovery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our early experience demonstrates that the benefits of laparoscopic nephrectomy, at present, do not extend to patients with XGP. Conventional open surgery is quicker, associated with fewer complications, and results in a similar use of analgesics, hospital stay, and recovery time.
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri 63108, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bercowsky
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Shalhav
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Portis
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Elbahnasy
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: McDougall
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Clayman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011705:Pyelonephritis, Xanthogranulomatous / Q000601:surgery*