Comparisons of survival and surgical outcomes between minimally invasive partial nephrectomy and radical nephrectomy in elderly patients with stage 1 renal cell carcinoma

Abstract

AimWe compared survival and perioperative outcomes of robot‐assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RAPN) and laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (LRN) for older patients (age 70 years or older) with stage 1 renal cell carcinoma (RCC).MethodsThis retrospective, single‐center study included 260 patients who underwent RAPN and 44 patients who underwent LRN. The overall survival (OS) and perioperative outcomes were compared between these two groups using an inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) analysis.ResultsCompared with the LRN group, a trend of more complications was observed in the RAPN group, including a higher body mass index (24 vs. 22 kg/m2; P = 0.0002) and higher rates of hypertension (77% vs. 55%; P = 0.0029) and chronic kidney disease (62% vs. 36%; P = 0.0027). After adjustment by the IPTW analysis, the RAPN group had a shorter operative time (143 vs. 282 min; P = 0.033), shorter postoperative length of hospital stay (PLOS) (4.1 vs. 7.9 days; P = 0.004), and less change in the estimated glomerular filtration rate during surgery (−8.4% vs. −32%; P < 0.0001) than the LRN group; however, the perioperative complication rates were similar. Patients who underwent RAPN had better 5‐year OS than those who underwent LRN (95% vs. 90%; log‐rank, P = 0.017).ConclusionRAPN resulted in better OS and surgical outcomes, with shorter operative time, shorter PLOS, and better renal function preservation, than LRN for older patients with stage 1 RCC. Therefore, RAPN may be the primary option for patients indicated for surgical intervention. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 269–274.