title: Current status of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy.
abstract: What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? The use of robotic assistance for the partial nephrectomy procedure has emerged as an alternative that may help some of the technical challenges of laparoscopic partial nephrectomy. The main concerns in laparoscopic partial nephrectomy relates to a steeper 'learning curve', prolonged warm ischaemia times and the potential for postoperative haemorrhage. The article delineates the dynamics of patient preparation, the surgical team, surgical technique & post-operative care to conclude that robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy is a viable alternative to both open and laparoscopic techniques. Partial nephrectomy has shown both improved overall patient survival and more effective preservation of renal function, when compared with radical nephrectomy. Robot-assisted partial nephrectomy has several potential advantages over the laparoscopic approach. Robotic assistance allows urologists to perform this complex reconstructive procedure more quickly, with improved precision and dexterity, tremor elimination and improved visualization. The present article aims to delineate the dynamics of patient preparation and surgical team, surgical technique and postoperative care. The oncological outcomes and disease-free survival of partial nephrectomy have been found to be equivalent to open partial nephrectomy [1-4].
authors.affiliation: MRC Centre for Transplantation, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Rishma
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gohil
authors.forename: Kamran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kooiman
authors.forename: Mohammed Shamim
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Prokar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dasgupta
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Challacombe
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D059032:Learning Curve; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010348:Patient Care Team; D018579:Patient Selection; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D000267:Tissue Adhesions / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome