Robot-assisted treatment of simple renal cysts

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The gold standard in the surgical treatment of simple renal cysts is laparoscopic cyst fenestration. However, laparoscopic procedures have disadvantages which include poor ergonomics of the instruments hindering surgeon's work in children's small abdomen. Robot-assisted surgery has the potential to make surgeon's work easier and to improve surgical outcomes in patients with kidney cysts for the instruments have seven degrees of freedom, hand tremor is filtered. It also promotes comfortable console positioning for the surgeon, and three-dimensional wide-angle imaging of the surgical field. AIM: To present the first experience of applying robot-assisted surgery for fenestration (decortication) of the outer portion of the cyst and argon-plasma coagulation of its inner lining. METHODS: The author's present retrospective data of all patients with simple renal cysts operated on with robot-assisted approach at the Irkutsk State Regional Children's Clinical Hospital. The diagnosis was put after ultrasound examination of kidneys and after computed tomography with intravenous contrast agent. Surgery was performed using a new model of the Versius robotic system manufactured by Cambridge Medical Robotics (UK). RESULTS: Patients' mean age at the time of surgery was (13±5.3) years (median 15 [11; 16] years), mean weight — (46.7±17.2) kg (median 54 [40.5; 56.5] kg), smallest body weight — 27 kg, size of cysts — (1.8±2.4) cm (median 0.4 [0.4; 2.5] cm). Cystic formations in all patients were located on the left: in the upper pole in 2 patients, in the lower pole in 1 patient. During the surgical intervention, there were no complications in the form of bleeding from the kidney parenchyma or damage to neighbouring organs. Histological analysis revealed that the lining of the cyst wall contained transitional epithelium without signs of malignancy. Duration of surgery was (136.7±72.2) min (median 95 [95; 157] min), duration of patients' stay in the intensive care unit — (19.9±2.5) hours (median21.3 [19.1; 21.4] hours), duration of hospital stay — (9.3±2.3) days (median 8 [8; 10] days). Ultrasound examination made in 1, 3 and 6 months after the surgery revealed no signs of disease recurrence in the form of residual accumulation of fluid associated with kidney parenchyma. CONCLUSION: The experience described in the article is encouraging and confirms the reasonability and safety of robot-assisted procedures in pediatric urology.