Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy in the elderly.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy and outcome of laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (LRN) in patients aged >75 years, and to compare the results with those obtained from patients younger than this undergoing laparoscopic surgery for the same indication.


METHODS
From a retrospective review of 33 patients aged >75 years undergoing LRN, 28 were for tumour. A group of 28 consecutive patients aged <75 years undergoing laparoscopy for the same indication were used for comparison. The two groups were compared for American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) physical status score, comorbidity, previous surgical history, operative duration, estimated blood loss, tumour size, complications during and after surgery, conversion rates, time to oral intake and drain removal, perioperative mortality and hospital stay.


RESULTS
Only the initial ASA score was significantly higher for the older patients. All other variables before, during and after surgery were similar for both groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The final outcome of laparoscopic surgery in elderly patients was as promising as in their younger counterparts. Therefore, elderly patients should not be excluded from LRN, even though they usually present with more comorbidities.
Varkarakis
Ioannis
I
Department of Urology, Innsbruck University, Austria.
Neururer
Richard
R
Harabayashi
Toru
T
Bartsch
Georg
G
Peschel
Reichard
R
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome