[Retroperitoneal laparoscopic lymphadenectomy for stage I non seminomatous testicular cancer].
OBJECTIVE
We report a series of patients with stage I non seminomatous testicular cancer in whom laparoscopic retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy was carried out.


METHODS
Between March 1993 and January 2004 100 and patients with the diagnosis of stage I non seminomatous testicular cancer underwent laparoscopic retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy (LRPL). All operations were performed by the same surgeon (O.A.C). Clinical data were collected prospectively in a database. Patients' demographic data, operative time, estimated blood loss, hospital stay, operative and post operative complications, convention rate and follow-up were all analyzed.


RESULTS
111 LRPL were performed in 111 patients with a mean age of 29.3 years (range 15-44 years). 61 procedures were right-LRPL and 50 left-LRPL. Mean operative time was 138 minutes (range 60-300 minutes). Introoperative complications appeared in 10 cases (9%), 9 vascular complications (8.1%) and 1 duodenal lesion (0.9%). Conversion to open surgery was necessary in three patients (2.7%). Mean hospital stay was 43.3 hours (range 24-120). 5 patients (4.5%) had tumor recurrence, with a mean follow-up of 30 months (range 24-94 months). Recurrences were localized in the retroperitoneum, mediastinum and lungs. Recurrence time varied between four and 64 months.


CONCLUSIONS
LRPL offers oncological results equivalent to open surgery, with the advantage of being minimally invasive and its consequent decrease in morbidity. The laparoscopic retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy is a good option for the management of patients with stage 1 testicular cancer.
Castillo
Octavio A
OA
Unidad de Endourología y Laparoscopía Urológica, Clínica Santa María, Chile. octaviocastillo@vtr.net
Alvarez
Juan Manuel
JM
Vitagliano
Gonzalo
G
Ramírez
David
D
Díaz
Manuel
M
Sánchez-Salas
Rafael
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012187:Retroperitoneal Space; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*