Vascular injury during laparoscopic partial nephrectomy in a solitary kidney: management, outcome and audit

Abstract

Abstract Background Vascular injury during laparoscopic partial nephrectomy is a dreadful complication. Though it is a commonly discussed complication, the literature on the circumstances leading to vascular injury, methods of managing the complication and reporting of final outcomes in those cases are limited. We report a case of vascular injury during laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for a hilar tumor in a solitary kidney. We highlight the management of the complication, present the outcome and review the surgical technique. Case presentation A 62-year-old male with solitary kidney presented with left renal hilar mass of size 4.4 × 3.8x3.6 cm. The renal nephrometry score was 10ph. The serum creatinine at the time of presentation to the hospital was 1.4 mg/dl. Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy was performed. The patient had severe intraoperative bleeding due to a segmental renal artery injury. The bleeding presented after hilar unclamping and was managed by intracorporeal vascular repair. The blood loss was around 500 ml. The postoperative period was uneventful without the need for hemodialysis. The histopathology report was suggestive of clear cell renal cell carcinoma with negative surgical margin. The follow-up magnetic resonance urogram did not show evidence of any arterial pseudoaneurysm or residual/recurrent tumor. At 18-month follow-up, the serum creatinine was 1.9 mg/dl and the patient did not have any complaints. Conclusions Complication of vascular injury while performing laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for complex hilar tumors should be anticipated beforehand. Contingency plans to tackle this complication must be in place before attempting the surgery. Intracorporeal repair of vascular injury during laparoscopic partial nephrectomy is feasible when expertise is available. Low threshold for using endoscopic ultrasound, employing cold ischemia techniques, careful usage of hot cut during tumor resection and complete defatting of the kidney can all be considered ‘safe surgical practices’ during laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for complex hilar tumors. Following aforementioned ‘safe surgical practices’ helps in improving the outcomes and reducing the possibility of complication of vascular injury and helps in managing the complication effectively if it happens despite the precautions.