Retroperitoneal and laparoscopic heminephrectomy in duplex kidney in infants and children

Retroperitoneoscopic Surgery in Children Does Not Cause Pathological Desaturation in Cerebral/Renal Oxygenation on Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Compared with Laparoscopic and Thoracoscopic Surgery

Introduction: Cerebral and renal regional oxygen saturation (C-rSO₂ and R-rSO₂, respectively) were monitored using near-infrared spectroscopy in pediatric patients (range: 0.3-14.3 years) during minimally invasive surgery (MIS) taking at least 3 hours performed by laparoscopy (Lap), thoracoscopy (Tho), or retroperitoneoscopy (Ret) from January 2019 to December 2021. Materials and Methods: Criteria compared were operative time, preoperative/intraoperative hemoglobin, blood loss, mean arterial pressure, arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO₂), peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂), C-rSO₂, and R-rSO₂. Pathological desaturation (PD) was defined as >20% decrease from baseline, and statistical significance as P < .05. Results: Subjects (n = 79) were similar for gender, age, and body mass index. MIS procedures were: Lap = 45, Tho = 20, Ret = 14; one Lap case required conversion for severe adhesions, not PD. Intraoperative PaCO₂ (mmHg) was significantly higher in Tho (maximum: 59.5 ± 17.0, minimum: 39.9 ± 7.5) versus Lap (maximum: 39.9 ± 5.1, minimum: 34.6 ± 3.9) and Ret (maximum: 37.8 ± 4.2, minimum: 35.0 ± 3.3); P < .0001 (maximum), P = .0013 (minimum). Minimum intraoperative SpO₂ was significantly lower in Tho (P < .0001). Mean operative times were significantly shorter in Tho (259 ± 114 minutes) versus Lap (433 ± 154 minutes) and Ret (342 ± 100 minutes); P < .0001, respectively. PD was absent during Ret (C-rSO₂: 0/14 = 0% and R-rSO₂: 0/14 = 0%). Differences in PD for Lap (C-rSO₂: 7/45 = 15.6% and R-rSO₂: 10/45 = 22.2%) and Tho (C-rSO₂: 9/20 = 45.0%, and R-rSO₂: 7/20 = 35.0%) were significant; P = .0028 for C-rSO₂ and P = .0497 for R-rSO₂. Hemoglobin and blood loss were similar. Conclusions: PD was absent during Ret, despite longer operative times. If Ret is indicated for a procedure, neurodevelopmental sequelae of MIS could be minimized.

Retroperitoneoscopic Nephrectomy in Pediatric Patients

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in pediatric population is becoming more and more popular among pediatric urologists and now it can be considered the best treatment for nephroureterectomy that is one of the most frequent urological procedures. The main indications to MIS ureteronephrectomy in children are congenital or acquired benign conditions such as nonfunctional and/or damaging kidney, renal dysplasia, and destroyed kidneys due to obstructive or refluxing uropathy. Since ever in open urological surgery, the lateral retroperitoneal approach represents the typical way to approach this kind of surgery. Although different surgical approaches can be chosen (i.e., posterior retroperitoneal, lateral retroperitoneal, laparoscopic transperitoneal, and robotic approach), the lateral retroperitoneal approach represents the typical way to perform this kind of surgery, also with minimally invasive techniques. In this article, we illustrate the technique of retroperitoneoscopic nephroureterectomy in infants and children, reporting our experience with this technique in the past 20 years.

Retroperitoneoscopic approach for partial nephrectomy in children with duplex kidney: A case report

BACKGROUND

Renal duplication is a common deformity of the urinary system, with an incidence of approximately 1/125 in children. Symptomatic patients with hydronephrosis, vesicoureteral reflux, or incontinence may require surgical interventions. Laparoscopy and retroperitoneoscopy are the two main accesses for partial nephrectomy.

CASE SUMMARY

A 9-year-old child was admitted to the hospital for hydronephrosis of the left kidney. Ultrasonography showed that the left kidney was larger, approximately 12.6 cm × 6.3 cm × 5.5 cm in size, with visible separation of the pelvis and an obviously separated lower portion. The upper segment of the left ureter was dilated (approximately 2.6 cm in width), and no significant dilation was observed in the middle and upper segments. The right kidney and ureter were normal. Primary diagnosis was left renal duplication malformation and hydronephrosis. Retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy and ureterectomy were performed. Intraoperative exploration revealed a dilated pelvis and thin renal parenchyma at the lower pole of the left kidney. The upper left kidney was smaller than normal, and the pelvis and ureter were larger than normal. The renal artery was blocked for 40 min. A hemolock was used to clamp down the kidney ureter, and a drainage tube was retained in the retroperitoneal cavity. The operation was uneventful, and the estimated amount of blood loss was 100 mL. Total abdominal drainage amount was 116 mL. The drainage tube was removed on postoperative day (POD) 3 and the patient was discharged on POD6. The pathological diagnosis confirmed the atrophy of the renal parenchyma, the dilation of the renal pelvis, hydronephrosis, and ureteral cystic dilation.

CONCLUSION

The retroperitoneoscopic approach for partial nephrectomy is feasible and effective in selective pediatric patients with a duplex kidney.

Predictors of complications following retroperitoneoscopic total and partial nephrectomy

INTRODUCTION

Recent reports in the literature suggest an increased risk of complications with retroperitoneal as opposed to transperitoneal approach to partial nephrectomy (PN) and total nephrectomy (TN). We are a large unit performing predominantly retroperitoneoscopic PN and TN. We aim to review our outcomes and perform analysis to elucidate the predictors of complications following the retroperitoneal approach for extirpative kidney surgery.

METHODS

We performed a single center retrospective review of children undergoing MIMS TN and PN between 2005 and 2015. Variables were tested for association with outcomes using Chi² and Spearman's Rho correlation.

RESULTS

We performed 173 MIMS nephrectomies, 119 total and 54 partial. Median age and weight were 5 years (6 months to 18 years) and 24.9 kg (7.7 to 85 kg) and operative time 147 min. There were 4 conversions and 17 postoperative complications. 19.6% children required further surgery, including 8 completion stumpectomies. Retroperitoneal approach did not have increased risk compared to transperitoneal for need of further surgery. Partial nephrectomy was not associated with higher rate of intraoperative complication or LOS. Predictors of intraoperative complication were vessel closure technique. Associations with need for further surgery were: ESRF, contralateral disease, bladder dysfunction, presence of PD catheter, and need for concomitant procedure.

CONCLUSION

Our conversion rate (1.9%) and need for further surgery (13.1%) following the retroperitoneal approach to the kidney are favorable to the literature. Need for reoperation is often associated with the underlying diagnosis and the natural sequelae of the disease process.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV.

Applications of Laparoscopic Transperitoneal Surgery of the Pediatric Urinary Tract

Application of laparoscopy in pediatric urology has evolved over more than 30 years coming from a merely diagnostic use for non-palpable testes to "interventional" laparoscopy to extirpative surgery and finally to the era of reconstructive pediatric laparoscopic urology, when in 1995 Peters described the first laparoscopic pyeloplasty in a child. Laparoscopic surgery in pediatric urology became implemented increasingly in the twenty-first century with now present-day applications including the complete variety of all kind of indications for surgery for pediatric urological pathology. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of current indications, techniques, and outcomes of laparoscopic transperitoneal surgery of the upper as well as of the lower urinary tract for urological pathology in the pediatric patient population.

Retroperitoneoscopic partial nephrectomy in children: a multicentric international comparative study between lateral versus prone approach

BACKGROUND

Very limited informations are currently available about the best approach to perform retroperitoneoscopic surgery. This multicentric international study aimed to compare the outcome of lateral versus prone approach for retroperitoneoscopic partial nephrectomy (RPN) in children.

METHODS

The records of 164 patients underwent RPN in 7 international centers of pediatric surgery over the last 5 years were retrospectively reviewed. Sixty-one patients (42 girls and 19 boys, average age 3.8 years) were operated using lateral approach (G1), whereas 103 patients (66 girls and 37 boys, average age 3.0 years) underwent prone RPN (G2). The two groups were compared in regard to operative time, postoperative outcome, postoperative complications, and re-operations.

RESULTS

The average operative time was significantly shorter in G2 (99 min) compared to G1 (160 min) (p = 0.001). Only 2 lateral RPN required conversion to open surgery. There was no significant difference between the two groups as for intraoperative complications (G1:2/61, 3.3%; G2:6/103, 5.8%; p = 0.48), postoperative complications (G1:9/61, 14.7%; G2:17/103, 16.5%; p = 0.80), and re-operations (G1:2/61, 3.3%; G2:4/103, 3.8%; p = 0.85). Regarding postoperative complications, the incidence of symptomatic residual distal ureteric stumps (RDUS) was significantly higher in G2 (7/103, 6.8%) compared to G1 (1/61, 1.6%) (p = 0.001). Most re-operations (4/6, 66.6%) were performed to remove a RDUS .

CONCLUSIONS

Both lateral and prone approach are feasible and reasonably safe to perform RPN in children but the superiority of one approach over another is not still confirmed. Although prone technique resulted faster compared to lateral approach, the choice of the technique remains dependent on the surgeon's personal preference and experience. Our results would suggest that the lateral approach should be preferred to the prone technique when a longer ureterectomy is required, for example in cases of vesico-ureteral reflux into the affected kidney moiety, in order to avoid to leave a long ureteric stump that could become symptomatic and require a re-intervention.