The Influence of Prior Abdominal Surgery on Robot-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy

[Background] We evaluated the influence of prior abdominal surgery on perioperative outcomes in patients who underwent robot-assisted partial nephrectomy in initial Japanese series. [Methods] We reviewed patients with small renal tumors who underwent robot-assisted partial nephrectomy from October 2011 to September 2020 at our institution. Patients with prior abdominal surgery were compared with those without prior surgery based on perioperative outcomes. The chi-square test and Mann–Whitney U test were used for statistical analyses of variables. [Results] Of 156 patients who underwent robot-assisted partial nephrectomy, 90 (58%) had no prior abdominal surgery, whereas 66 patients (42%) underwent prior abdominal surgery. No significant differences in perioperative outcomes were observed between with and without prior abdominal surgery groups. In transperitoneal approach robot-assisted partial nephrectomy, 31 patients (80.4%) had prior abdominal surgery. Trocar insertion time in the with prior abdominal surgery group took longer than the without prior abdominal surgery group (32 vs. 28.5 min, P = 0.031). No significant difference was observed in the conversion rate between the two groups (P = 0.556). [Conclusion] Robot-assisted partial nephrectomy appears to be a safe approach for patients with prior abdominal surgery. In transperitoneal approach robot-assisted partial nephrectomy with prior abdominal surgery, trocar insertion time was longer, but no significant differences were found in other outcomes. Transperitoneal approach robot-assisted partial nephrectomy is thus considered a safe procedure for patients with prior abdominal surgery.