Unintended Consequences of Laparoscopic Surgery on Partial Nephrectomy for Kidney Cancer

Abstract

Partial nephrectomy use for renal cell carcinoma remains low, particularly in elderly patients. The introduction of laparoscopic radical nephrectomy coincided with decreased uptake and use of partial nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma. Although it was hypothesized previously, to our knowledge this is the first study to suggest that the introduction of laparoscopy in renal surgery has negatively impacted partial nephrectomy use.