Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy represents a feasible option for patients with small renal masses. Clamping the renal vessels during tumor resection and suturing the kidney mimics the open technique and seems to be associated with less blood loss and shorter laparoscopic operative time.
The technique of LPN can be standardized and should be proposed for small tumors when they are not invading the hilum. Clamping the renal pedicle allows better vision for more accurate tumor excision with a safety margin and hemostatic suturing of the parenchymal defect, resulting in less blood loss and shorter operative time, parameters that improve with experience.
Nerve-sparing surgery was performed with increasing frequency during this learning curve without compromising the surgical margins. The results suggest that experience could lead to a decrease of both the positive margin length and the rate of multiple positive margins. The impact on cancer control and potency is under evaluation.
This clinical case illustrates the natural history of nephrobronchial fistula, the importance of clinical history for diagnosis and the relevance of early treatment of renal lithiasis.
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