Hand assisted laparoscopic radical nephrectomy: Comparison with open radical nephrectomy

Purpose: We compared the results of hand assisted laparoscopic and conventional open radical nephrectomy. Materials and Methods: Clinical data on 54 hand assisted and 50 open radical nephrectomies performed at our hospital from September 1999 to October 2002 were reviewed. Results: Mean operative time in the laparoscopic and open groups was similar (194.9 and 180.7 minutes, respectively, p = 0.087). However, estimated mean blood loss (182.8 vs 262.8 ml, p <0.001), mean days to oral intake (2.6 vs 3.7 days, p <0.001) mean duration of an indwelling drain (2.6 vs 3.2 days, p <0.001) and mean hospital stay (6.8 vs 8.9 days, p <0.001) were significantly less in the laparoscopic group. In the laparoscopic group no conversions or reexplorations were required and no major complications occurred. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that hand assisted laparoscopic radical nephrectomy represents an effective, minimally invasive treatment option in patients with suspected renal cell carcinoma.