Postoperative Urinary Leakage Following Partial Nephrectomy for Renal Mass: Risk Factors and a Proposed Algorithm for the Diagnosis and Management

Urine leak and vascular complications following robotic partial nephrectomy: a contemporary single-center experience

Urine leak (UL) and vascular complications (VC), i.e., pseudoaneurysms and arteriovenous fistulas are well-described complications of robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN). Historically, UL incidence ranges from 0.3 to 17% and VC from 0.8 to 5.6%. We report the contemporary experience of UL and VC from a single, high-volume center in cases of RAPN. 447 patients were identified from an IRB-approved Renal Tumor Database of 2174 cases who underwent RAPN from 1/2017 to 5/2023. VC occurred in 9 cases (4 pseudoaneurysms, 1 AV fistula, 4 concurrent AV fistula/pseudoaneurysm), UL occurred in 9 (2.0%), and there was one concurrent case of VC and UL. Collecting-system entry occurred in five VC cases and five UL cases. For VCs, the median nephrometry score and maximal tumor diameter was 8 (IQR 3.0) and 3.8 (0.9) cm, respectively, and 8 (3.0) and 3.7 (1.1) cm for UL cases, respectively. Most complications occurred with tumors ≤ 4 mm from the collecting system (n = 7 VC, n = 6 UL). VCs presented after 18 (6.0) days, 6 with gross hematuria; 3 required clot irrigation, 1 required continuous bladder irrigation, and 8 required embolization. No patients required postoperative transfusion. Patients with UL presented after a median of 1 (12) day, with 5 cases detected by elevated creatinine in drain fluid and the remainder detected on routine ultrasound. The duration of UL was 13 (41) days with only 2 cases requiring stenting and one case requiring a drainage catheter. No patients required kidney re-operation or removal. Our rate of VC and UL following RAPN are low and consistent with other contemporary series. Complications occurred in patients with high nephrometry scores or tumors located close to the collecting system. Both complications generally present early and can be managed without kidney re-operation or removal.

Open versus mini-invasive partial and radical nephrectomy complications: results from the French national health database

BACKGROUND

Laparoscopic surgery is associated with a lower morbidity than open surgery. No recent data compared kidney cancer surgery in the French population using the National Health Insurance database (PMSI-MCO).

AIMS

We explore and compare the surgical morbidity rates between laparoscopic and open laparotomy for kidney cancer.

METHODS

The initial length of stay and complications parameters during the three postoperative months were described for renal cancer in every French center in 2018. We compared Relative Risks (RR [95% CI]) between laparoscopic and open surgery for both radical and partial nephrectomy.

RESULTS

Among 8,162 patients, 3,525 had a radical nephrectomy, 978 open, 2,547 laparoscopic surgeries; 4,637 patients had partial nephrectomies, 1,778 open 2,859 laparoscopic surgeries. For radical surgery, the most common complications were urinary infections (7.8%), acute renal failure (8.9%), sepsis (8.4%), bleeding (9.3%), and postoperative anemia (5.9%); the RR for laparoscopic versus open surgery were respectively 0.68 [0.54;0.86], 0.71 [0.57;0.88], 0.69 [0.55;0.86], 0.83 [0.66;1.03], 0.56 [0.43;0.73]. For partial nephrectomies, the most common complications were urinary infections (7.7%), bleeding (11.6%), and postoperative anemia (5.8%), with RR of 0.71 [0.58;0.87], 0.61 [0.52;0.71], and 0.64 [0.51;0.81]. The mean length of stay was 7.7 for open radical nephrectomy, 6.3 for laparoscopic radical nephrectomy, 7.5 for open partial nephrectomy, and 5 for laparoscopic partial nephrectomy.

CONCLUSIONS

The laparoscopic approach had fewer postoperative complications and a shorter length of stay than open surgery for partial and radical nephrectomy. The PMSI analysis provided an exhaustive description of surgical practice for kidney cancer and surgical complications in France.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER

Not applicable.

Pre-gerotal fat patch-A novel alternative to haemostatic agents during partial nephrectomy

Objective

This study aimed to determine if using a pre-gerotal fat patch at open partial nephrectomy (PN) as a haemostatic bolster is a viable alternative to using synthetic haemostatic agents.

Materials and methods

Human Research Ethics Committee approval was obtained for audit of a prospectively kept database from July 2012 to July 2021, which followed outcomes of patients who received a low-tension pre-gerotal fat patch renorrhaphy at open PN. Patient demographics, intraoperative measures, histological outcomes and post-operative complications were analysed. Using a retroperitoneal approach, the peritoneum was mobilised and a vascularised pedicle of pre-gerotal fat was rotated in the direction of the kidney. Routine definition of the hilum, clamping of the hilar vessels and dissection of mass followed. After watertight closure and haemostasis, the harvested pre-gerotal fat patch was placed over the defect and secured using low-tension renorrhaphy. Two-layer closure of the abdominal wall with placement of a drain was routine.

Results

A total of 55 patients underwent open PN. Mean age was 60.4 (35-77) years. There were 38 men and 17 women, and 32 right and 23 left PNs. Mean mass size was 31.9 mm (10-95 mm) and collecting system was breached in 36.5% of cases. One patient (1.9%) suffered a Clavien-Dindo IIIb complication requiring return to theatre and transfusion due to a bleed from an intercostal artery. There were no renal bed bleeds, urine leaks or urine fistulas detected. Mean intraoperative blood loss was 355 mL (50-1500 mL) and mean post-operative creatinine increased by 10.7 μmol/L (51-172 μmol/L). Mean follow up was 40.2 (4-109) months.

Conclusion

Utilisation of an anatomical pre-gerotal fat patch to provide pressure at the renorrhaphy site during open PN is an effective technique to assist with surgical haemostasis. This simple technique avoids the costs of haemostatic agents, whilst adding minimal operating time to procedures.

Complications after Nephron-sparing Interventions for Renal Tumors: Imaging Findings and Management

The two primary nephron-sparing interventions for treating renal masses such as renal cell carcinoma are surgical partial nephrectomy (PN) and image-guided percutaneous thermal ablation. Nephron-sparing surgery, such as PN, has been the standard of care for treating many localized renal masses. Although uncommon, complications resulting from PN can range from asymptomatic and mild to symptomatic and life-threatening. These complications include vascular injuries such as hematoma, pseudoaneurysm, arteriovenous fistula, and/or renal ischemia; injury to the collecting system causing urinary leak; infection; and tumor recurrence. The incidence of complications after any nephron-sparing surgery depends on many factors, such as the proximity of the tumor to blood vessels or the collecting system, the skill or experience of the surgeon, and patient-specific factors. More recently, image-guided percutaneous renal ablation has emerged as a safe and effective treatment option for small renal tumors, with comparable oncologic outcomes to those of PN and a low incidence of major complications. Radiologists must be familiar with the imaging findings encountered after these surgical and image-guided procedures, especially those indicative of complications. The authors review cross-sectional imaging characteristics of complications after PN and image-guided thermal ablation of kidney tumors and highlight the respective management strategies, ranging from clinical observation to interventions such as angioembolization or repeat surgery. Work of the U.S. Government published under an exclusive license with the RSNA. Online supplemental material and the slide presentation from the RSNA Annual Meeting are available for this article. Quiz questions for this article are available in the Online Learning Center. See the invited commentary by Chung and Raman in this issue.

CT-based preoperative risk assessment of prolonged urine leak in patients undergoing partial nephrectomy

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to evaluate risk factors of prolonged urine leak following partial nephrectomy (PN) to identify objective imaging characteristics on preoperative CT.

METHODS

A total of 865 patients who underwent PN and had preoperative CT and postoperative imaging were included. We set a twofold size-matched control group without urine leak, with all tumors located ≤ 4 mm to the collecting system to identify imaging parameters that increase the risk of urine leak other than tumor size and location. Four CT parameters that show the relationship of the tumor and collecting system, namely, curvilinear border length, protruding distance, margin at the interface, and pelvicalyceal contact, were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify significant predictors of urine leak. The diagnostic performance of the significant parameters was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC).

RESULTS

Fifty-three of 865 patients (6.1%) demonstrated urine leak. Compared with the control group, urine leak group showed longer curvilinear border length, longer protruding distance, frequent non-smooth contact interface, and frequent direct pelvicalyceal contact (p < 0.05 for all). In the multivariate analysis, pelvicalyceal contact was the independent predictor of urine leak (OR = 2.62; 95% C.I 1.02-6.63). Combining four CT parameters, an AUC of 0.70 with a sensitivity of 58.5% and a specificity of 79.2% for identifying urine leak after PN could be obtained.

CONCLUSIONS

The four CT features that describe the relationship between the tumor and collecting system might be useful for evaluating the risk of urine leak before PN.

KEY POINTS

• Four CT parameters (curvilinear border length, protruding distance, margin at the interface, and pelvicalyceal contact) were significantly associated with postoperative urine leak after partial nephrectomy. • A comprehensive preoperative imaging evaluation of the relationship between the tumor and renal sinus may help in selecting the optimal surgical options and afford better patient counseling of complication risk.

Ureterovesical Anastomosis Complications in Kidney Transplantation: Definition, Risk Factor Analysis, and Prediction by Quantitative Fluorescence Angiography with Indocyanine Green

Ureteral stenosis and urinary leakage are relevant problems after kidney transplantation. A standardized definition of ureterovesical anastomosis complications after kidney transplantation has not yet been established. This study was designed to demonstrate the predictive power of quantitative indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence angiography. This bicentric historic cohort study, conducted between November 2015 and December 2019, included 196 kidney transplantations. The associations between quantitative perfusion parameters of near-infrared fluorescence angiography with ICG and the occurrence of different grades of ureterovesical anastomosis complications in the context of donor, recipient, periprocedural, and postoperative characteristics were evaluated. Post-transplant ureterovesical anastomosis complications occurred in 18%. Complications were defined and graded into three categories. They were associated with the time on dialysis (p = 0.0025), the type of donation (p = 0.0404), and the number of postoperative dialysis sessions (p = 0.0173). Median ICG ingress at the proximal ureteral third was 14.00 (5.00–33.00) AU in patients with and 23.50 (4.00–117.00) AU in patients without complications (p = 0.0001, cutoff: 16 AU, sensitivity 70%, specificity 70%, AUC = 0.725, p = 0.0011). The proposed definition and grading of post-transplant ureterovesical anastomosis complications is intended to enable valid comparisons between studies. ICG Fluorescence angiography allows intraoperative quantitative assessment of ureteral microperfusion during kidney transplantation and is able to predict the incidence of ureterovesical anastomosis complications. Registration number: NCT-02775838.

Renal artery embolization in the treatment of urinary fistula after renal duplication: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND

Duplicate renal malformation is a congenital disease of the urinary system, with an incidence rate of 0.8%. Surgical treatment is suitable for symptomatic patients. Urinary fistula is one of the complications of heminephrectomy. Long-term urinary fistula has a great impact on patients' lives.

CASE SUMMARY

This article mainly reports on a 47-year-old man with duplication of kidney deformity, long urinary fistula after partial nephrectomy, and no improvement after conservative treatment. We have achieved positive results in the arterial embolization treatment of the residual renal artery, indicating that selective arterial embolization is a good way to treat urinary fistula after partial nephrectomy. It is worth noting that this patient violated the Weigert-Meyer law, which also gave us more consideration.

CONCLUSION

Renal artery embolization may be a simple and safe method to treat urinary fistula inefficacy with conservative treatment.

Open partial nephrectomy: current review

Partial nephrectomy (PN) is increasingly considered the gold standard treatment for localized renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) where technically feasible. The advantage of nephron-sparing surgery lies in preservation of parenchyma and hence renal function. However, this advantage is counterbalanced with increased surgical risk. In recent years with the popularization of minimally invasive partial nephrectomy (laparoscopic and robotic), the contemporary role of open PN (OPN) has changed. OPN has several advantages, particularly in complex patients such as those with a solitary kidney, multi-focal tumors, and significant surgical history, as well as providing improved application of renoprotective measures. As such, it is a technique that remains relevant in current urology practice. In this article we discuss the evidence, indications, operative considerations and surgical technique, along with the role of OPN in contemporary nephron-sparing surgery.

Ureterocalyceal Fistula: A Rare Complication of Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy

Background

Postoperative urinary leak is a well-documented complication following partial nephrectomy. It usually presents as persistent discharge from the retroperitoneal drain, nephrocutaneous fistula, urinary collection, systemic manifestations, or abdominal symptoms. Herein, we report for the first time on a case of urinary leak postlaparoscopic partial nephrectomy which did not heal and led to the formation of ureterocalyceal fistula. Case Presentation. A 41-year-old male presented with a coincidental renal mass at the inferiomedial aspect of the right kidney. He underwent laparoscopic partial nephrectomy. On the third postoperative day, he developed fever. CT scan showed minimal urine leak from the tumor site and a JJ stent was inserted. Due to severe bladder symptoms, the stent was removed and a perirenal drain was inserted and removed in few days. He did well initially but in two weeks, he started to develop urinary tract infections. Repeat CT scan showed ongoing urinary leak from the site of the previous surgery. Retrograde pyelography demonstrated a complete UPJ stenosis with an ureterocalyceal fistula. Trial for reanastomosis failed due to severe adhesions and small intrarenal pelvis. An ureterocalyceal anastomosis has to be performed to another calyx.

Conclusion

We report for the first time on an ureterocalyceal fistula following laparoscopic partial nephrectomy. This complication might be prevented by a careful dissection of the area close to the ureter or by an insertion of a JJ stent for an adequate time if a ureteric injury is suspected.

[Radical nephrectomy and partial nephrectomy]

Renal cell carcinoma is the 2nd most frequent urological malignancy in women and the third most frequent in men, with an age peak in the seventh decade of life. If detected early in a local non-metastatic stage, options for complete recovery are excellent. While two decades ago, even locally limited cancers of the kidney were cured by radical nephrectomy, treatment today mostly consists of local treatment for locally confined cancers. Guidelines today recommend local surgical excision (open or minimally-invasive) or - in selected cases - topical energy application (radio-frequency ablation, cryoablation). The surgeon's expertise is most important in the selection of the appropriate kind of surgery and different guidelines have slightly different recommendations.Treatment decisions should be made on an individual basis in due consideration of an individual's age and co-morbidities. This may lead to the recommendation that, due to low perioperative morbidity, even localised carcinomas should be treated by (minimally-invasive) radical nephrectomy instead of nephron-sparing surgery and, in other cases, a non-interventional, active surveillance strategy may be pursued without compromising the patient's life expectancy. For higher-grade renal cell carcinomas, there is usually an indication for radical nephrectomy, as long as no metastases are detected. This also applies to carcinomas with venous thrombi extending into the atrium of the heart. Complications in the treatment of renal carcinomas are usually rare and easily treatable in most cases.

Percutaneous application of fibrin sealant in surgically recalcitrant urinomas following oncocytoma resection

Surgical application of fibrin sealant is well established as a hemostatic agent. However, reports of its percutaneous application and its uses within the urinary tract are limited. Presented below are two patients with recalcitrant urinomas despite diversion therapy following partial nephrectomy for oncocytomas. Both patients were successfully treated with percutaneous application of fibrin sealant via a sheath at the time of percutaneous perinephric drain removal. Follow-up imaging demonstrated resolution of the urinomas with stabilization of creatinine. Percutaneous application of fibrin sealant may be considered as an alternative treatment for recalcitrant urinomas prior to surgical intervention, though more studies are required to confirm its effectiveness and safety.

Percutaneous Obliteration of Urinary Leakage after Partial Nephrectomy Using N-Butyl-Cyanoacrylate Obliteration of the Urinoma with or without Coil Embolization of the Fistula Tract

PURPOSE

To retrospectively evaluate the safety and efficacy of the percutaneous obliteration of urinary leakage after partial nephrectomy (PN) using coils and N-butyl-cyanoacrylate (NBCA).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data of 10 consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous obliteration of urinary leakage after PN using coil and NBCA between February 2016 and May 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. A urinary fistulography was performed via the drainage catheter. If the fistulous tract was clearly visualized, super-selective embolization of the fistulous tract with coils and urinoma cavity sealing with NBCA was performed. In cases where the fistulous tract could not be clearly visualized, only urinoma cavity sealing was performed. Outcomes and complications were assessed by reviewing medical records and computed tomography (CT).

RESULTS

In 7 (70%) patients who showed obvious urinary fistulous tract, coil embolization of the urinary fistulous tract, followed by sealing of the urinoma cavity with NBCA, was performed. Obliteration of the urinoma without coil embolization of the fistula tract was performed in 3 patients (30%) in whom a distinct fistulous tract could not be visualized. The median number of treatment sessions required to achieve clinical success was 1 (range, 1-5). Four patients underwent multiple repeated procedure with successful results. All patients showed gradual decrease in size or complete disappearance of urinoma on follow-up CT without evidence of urinary leakage during the follow-up period (mean, 44.6 weeks; range, 11-117 weeks). There were no procedure-related complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Percutaneous obliteration of urinary leakage after PN using coils and NBCA is safe and effective.

A systematic management algorithm for perioperative complications after robotic assisted partial nephrectomy

Nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) is the treatment of choice for T1 renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Since the first robotic assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) was performed in 2004, NSS is being implemented with increasing frequency. RAPN will likely become the gold standard procedure for T1 RCC due to improved dexterity, enhanced visualization, shorter learning curve, quicker recovery time, and shortened warm ischemic time. Although RAPN appears to be the preferred treatment for select renal tumours, there are notable complications in up to 35% of cases. While complications associated with RAPN are well-described, there is a lack of literature describing appropriate management strategies. Herein, we review complications associated with RAPN and design an appropriate systematic management algorithm.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery: Urology

Enhanced recovery after surgery programs were developed as a type of standardized evidence-based perioperative care protocols. The necessity and benefit of clinical care pathways is not a new phenomenon in urology and have been a big part of the evolution of care for urology patients, especially in terms of urologic oncology. This article discusses the key components of evidence-based perioperative care in key urologic procedures. These protocols have been shown to decrease length of stay, decrease complications, and reduce cost.