Robot-assisted radical nephrectomy and inferior vena cava tumor thrombectomy using the novel surgical robot platform, hinotori: Initial experience with two cases

IntroductionA newly developed surgical robot system, hinotori, with various unique advantages has been in clinical use in Japan; however, there have not been any studies of robot-assisted radical nephrectomy and inferior vena cava tumor thrombectomy using hinotori.Case presentationWe describe two male patients aged 67 and 76 years old with right renal cell carcinoma and a level II and I inferior vena cava tumor thrombus, respectively, undergoing robot-assisted radical nephrectomy and inferior vena cava tumor thrombectomy using hinotori. Both operations were successfully completed with a purely robotic procedure without any major perioperative complications, resulting in the following findings: time using robotic system, 158 and 156 min; total operative time, 228 and 214 min; estimated blood loss, 535 and 200 mL, respectively.ConclusionBased on our first experience, robot-assisted radical nephrectomy and inferior vena cava tumor thrombectomy using hinotori may be an effective treatment for renal cell carcinoma with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus <= level II.