title: Comparison of hand-assisted laparoscopic nephroureterectomy with open surgery for upper urinary tract tumor.
abstract: Herein we report on our initial experience in performing nephroureterectomy by hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery, and compare the results with those performed by traditional open methods. From December 2000 to September 2001, 10 patients with upper urinary tract tumors underwent hand-assisted laparoscopic nephroureterectomy. Except for one patient who required elective conversion to open surgery due to renal vein injury, this cohort of 9 patients was compared to a group of 35 patients who had received traditional open nephroureterectomy over the last 2 years. Demographic, intraoperative and postoperative data were compared retrospectively. These two groups were similar in age, body mass index, operation time and time to postoperative oral intake. However, the hand-assisted laparoscopy group was found to have significantly less blood loss, less need for parenteral narcotic and a shorter length of time needed for postoperative hospitalization than the open group. Thus, in this report we have demonstrated hand-assisted laparoscopic nephroureterectomy to be a safe and efficacious treatment of malignant urinary collecting tumors. We believe the benefits of this minimally invasive surgery make it a viable alternative technique for management of upper urinary tract tumor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100, Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: H N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D014513:Ureter / Q000601:surgery*; D014571:Urologic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*