Effect of surgical approach on radical nephrectomy outcomes: Comparative study between open and laparoscopic nephrectomy

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of laparoscopy in patients with renal cancer treated with radical nephrectomy in terms of surgical time, hospital stay, postoperative complications and survival. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study of 570 patients with renal cancer treated with radical nephrectomy in stage <= pT3a. Differences between groups were analysed using ANOVA test for quantitative variables and Chi squared test for qualitative. In order to evaluate possible risk factors for longer hospital stay and surgical time, multivariate analysis was performed (lineal regression). For complications we performed binary logistic regression. Overall survival (OS), recurrence free survival (RFS) and cancer specific survival (CSS) were estimated using Kaplan Meier and compared using Log Rank test. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed using Cox regression in order to identify independent risk factors for overall, cancer specific and recurrence mortality. RESULTS: Two cohorts: 361 (63.3%) open radical nephrectomies (ORN) and 209 (36.7%) laparoscopic (LRN). Surgical time was longer in LRN (p=0.001) globally. After the period when the learning curve was over these differences were no longer significant. Hospital stay was shorter in LRN (p=0.0001). cT stage (p=0.005) and surgical access (p=0.001) acted as independent risk factors for longer surgical time. 33,5% (121 patients) of the ORN had some sort of postoperative complication vs. 11% (23 patients) in the LRN group (p=0.0001). These differences were observed in the Clavien-Dindo's grade II group. Independent risk factors for postoperative complications observed were: ASA >= lll (OR=1.82, p=0.004) and stage pT3a (OR=2.29, p=0.0001). Laparoscopy acted as a protective factor for complications (OR=0,26, p=0.0001). Surgical access did not influence RFS (HR=0.87, p=0.50), CSS (HR=0.69, p=0. 12). CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic access to RN in patients with renal cancer in spT3a stage increased surgical time only in the first years, reduced hospital stay and postoperative complications and did not influence RFS, OS or CSS.