Objective: To present the preliminary experience of the operative procedure and clinical outcomes of retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephroureterectomy (RPLNU) with a midline lower abdominal transperitoneal incision for native upper urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma (UUT-TCC) ipsilateral to a transplanted kidney.
Methods: In the study, 15 renal recipients with native UUT-TCC ipsilateral to a transplanted kidney were operated on with RPLNU via a midline lower abdominal transperitoneal incision between November 2005 and January 2009. Retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy was performed first and followed by cystoscopic excision of ipsilateral ureteral orifice with bladder cuff. A 6-8 cm midline lower abdominal incision was made. The distal ureter was dissected transperitoneally into the intramural segment and extracted completely. The intact specimen was removed manually via the same incision. The cystostomy was generally sutured.
Results: The mean operation time was 253 minutes. The mean estimated blood loss was 245 mL. Three patients needed blood transfusion. No open conversion was required during the retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy. Two of the patients suffered from minor complications. The pathological findings confirmed UUT-TCC in all the patients with 9 of the pelvises and 9 of the ureters. Five of the patients were involved with bladder TCC. With the mean follow-up of 35 months, none of them had retroperitoneal recurrence or distant metastasis, 2 of the 5 patients with bladder TCC had recurrence in bladder and 4 had contralateral native UUT-TCC after the first unilateral nephroureterectomy.
Conclusion: RPLNU with a midline lower abdominal transperitoneal incision may be a safe and feasible alternative for native UUT-TCC ipsilateral to a transplanted kidney with satisfactory oncologic outcomes.