Assessment of Warm and Cold Ischemia on Functions of the Operated Kidney with <sup>99m</sup>Tc-DMSA in Renal Masses: A Prospective and Randomized Study

Abstract

Objective: To examine the effect of warm and cold ischemia on functions of the operated kidney in cases with a normal contralateral kidney undergoing nephron sparing surgery. Methods: This study enrolled 40 patients with a normal contralateral kidney and without a renal function threatening risk factor, who were operated with NSS. The patients were randomized at admission. They were divided into 2 equal groups as warm and cold ischemia. An ice application for 10 minutes was done to cold ischemia group after clamping renal artery. Renal functions were evaluated with Technesium-99m-Dimercaptosuccinic Acid (DMSA) and serum creatinine at the preoperative and postoperative (day 1, day 15, month 6, and month 12) period. Statistical analysis was done with Mann Whitney U test, Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, and Fredman test. A p value below 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of age, body mass index, ischemia time, tumor size, amount of hemorrhage, and procedure time. Both groups had a significantly higher DMSA uptake at the preoperative period compared with the postoperative period (postoperative day 1, day 15, month 6, and month 12) (p 0.001). However, both groups had similar DMSA uptake results at the postoperative period. Preoperative and postoperative creatinine levels were not significantly different from each other in both groups. Conclusion: Based on tumor localization, nephron sparing surgery without use of superficial cooling appears as a viable option for small renal masses.