title: Is perioperative examination of frozen sections necessary in nephron-sparing surgery?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the role of perioperative freezing in the management of surgical procedures in patients with malignant renal masses.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group consisted of 17 patients diagnosed with renal masses who underwent nephron-sparing surgery. The group included 5 females and 12 males aged from 44 to 68 years (mean = 54.6). The mean mass size was 5.5 cm. Mass locations were as follows: 9 were in the lower pole, 4 were in the mid-pole, and 6 were in the upper pole. Perioperative freezing was not carried out. The patients were followed-up in a period ranging from 3 months to 7 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tumor pathology was reported as renal cell carcinoma in all cases, and surgical margins were negative in all of them. One patient died after 1 year because of tumor metastasis. In another patient, the tumor reoccurred in the same kidney and a radical nephrectomy was performed. Other patients were followed without recurrence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Imaging of the renal vascular system and freezing during surgery is not necessary for nephron-sparing surgery for renal cell carcinoma; however, we should be careful in terms of capsule invasion because of tumor recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Fatih University, Sema Hospital,  İstanbul, Turkey.  mkalkan@fatih.edu.tr
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kalkan
authors.forename: Soner
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yalçinkaya
authors.forename: Coşkun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: Yeşim
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uçkurt
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Etlik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005629:Frozen Sections; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009399:Nephrons / Q000601:surgery*; D019990:Perioperative Care