Chandru P. Sundaram

Objective: Solitary kidney tumors are a challenging scenario necessitating both oncologic efficacy and renal function preservation. Partial nephrectomy (PN), when feasible, remains the gold standard for management. We examine intraoperative techniques and their association with renal function decline in patients with solitary kidneys undergoing PN. Methods: In two high volume academic referral centers, we analyzed patients that underwent PN in a solitary kidney from 2000 to 2023. Patient characteristics, tumor details, and operative details were obtained. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) upstaging from pre- to postoperative was the primary outcome, with multivariable analysis examining the association between intraoperative factors and CKD progression. Results: In total, 104 patients were included, of which 38 (36.5%) experienced CKD upstaging. Mean eGFR decline was 15.4% at median follow-up of 16 months. Cold ischemia was associated with higher odds of CKD upstaging compared to warm ischemia (OR 3.64; 95% CI 1.06–12.52) and no ischemia (4.55; 95% CI 1.09). Notably, cold ischemia cases tended to involve significantly larger, more complex tumors in patients with lower baseline renal function. Ischemia time, parenchyma resection, renal volume change, operative time, and renorrhaphy type were not predictors of CKD upstaging. Conclusions: PN in solitary kidneys remains standard with evidence of excellent renal preservation in this cohort. Worse outcomes were observed with cold ischemia, although this more likely represents underlying tumor complexity with other uncontrollable factors; however, this should be explored further. These findings suggest that renal functional outcomes are likely reasonable in patients with solitary kidneys undergoing PN when appropriate patient selection and sound surgical technique are utilized.

Background: Current NCCN guidelines recommend a more rigorous imaging schedule for patients whose surgical pathology for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) includes adverse pathological features such as higher grade (grade 3–4). However, for pT1 renal masses, there is limited and conflicting data on the significance of tumor grade for oncologic outcomes. The aim of this study was to compare outcomes of T1 low-grade (WHO/ISUP grade 1 or 2) and T1 high-grade (WHO/ISUP grade 3 or 4) renal cell carcinoma (RCC) after surgical treatment. Methods: With IRB (Indiana University Health Institutional Review Board) approval, we conducted a retrospective review to identify patients who underwent surgical treatment for pT1 RCC at a single institution between the years 2000 and 2022. Patient demographics, nephrometry score, biopsy results, surgical pathology, and recurrence data were collected. Time-to-event analysis was utilized to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) for cancer-specific survival (CSS), overall survival (OS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Patients with surgical pathology results that included chromophobe morphology were excluded from this study. Results: Of the 1483 patients with pT1 renal masses on surgical pathology, 1039 patients had WHO/ISUP grading and did not have chromophobe morphology. When comparing low-grade masses to high-grade masses without controlling for median follow-up, there was a significant difference in OS, CFS, and RFS. For RFS, the p-value was 0.03 and the unadjusted HR = 0.63 (95% CI 0.41, 0.96; p = 0.0324). For OS, the p-value was 0.01, and the unadjusted HR = 0.61 (95% CI 0.41, 0.90; p = 0.0124). For CSS, the p-value was 0.0013 and the unadjusted HR = 0.28 (95% CI 0.12, 0.64; p = 0.0026). Of those who had follow-up greater than 36 months, subcategorical analysis revealed there was no significant difference in CSS and RFS. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the WHO/ISUP grade has prognostic value in predicting worse survival outcomes within 2 years of surgical treatment. However, findings suggest that cancer-specific and RFS outcomes are similar for both high-grade and low-grade masses as patients approach 36 months from their date of surgical treatment.

Purpose: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is an evidence-based perioperative care approach aimed at attenuating surgical stress response and facilitating patient recovery. This study compared postoperative outcomes between an ERAS perioperative model to a traditional, unstandardized perioperative care practice in patients undergoing robotic nephrectomy. Materials and methods: A total of 206 patients who underwent robotic renal surgery were stratified into traditional and ERAS cohorts. In total, 111 patients received the ERAS pathway, and 95 received traditional care. Data was collected through a retrospective review of electronic medical records. The primary outcome was length of hospital stay (LOS). The secondary outcomes included patient recovery milestones, pain scores, opioid use, patient complications, 30-day readmission rates, incidence of surgical site infection, and total hospital costs. Results: Implementation of the ERAS pathway was associated with shorter hospital stay (median LOS 2.2 days vs. 2.3 days p = 0.011), lower post-operative pain scores and lower total opioid requirements at all analyzed time points (0–1, 1–24, and 24–48 h). No statistically significant differences were observed in adverse events, rates of ileus, time to first flatus, surgical site infection, or oral intake. Hospital costs were similar between groups. 30-day readmission was higher in the traditional care cohort (9% vs. 2% p = 0.035). Conclusions: ERAS was associated with reduced length of hospital stay, improved pain scores, reduced opioid use, and lower incidence of hospital readmission in patients undergoing robotic nephrectomy.

Background/Objective: The impact of adjuvant immunotherapy (IO) on the prognosis of patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) remains unclear. This study examines the association of adjuvant IO with oncologic outcomes in patients with high-risk UTUC. Methods: This retrospective study reviewed patients with high-risk UTUC treated with adjuvant IO using the ROBotic surgery for Upper tract Urothelial cancer STudy (ROBUUST) database. Propensity-score-matched analysis (nearest-neighbor algorithm, caliper 0.1) was conducted to compare patients receiving adjuvant IO versus those who did not, with matching based on pathologic T and N category and receipt of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Associations between adjuvant IO and urothelial recurrence-free survival (URFS), non-urothelial recurrence-free survival (NRFS), and overall survival (OS) were estimated using a Cox proportional hazards model. Results: Seventy-five patients received adjuvant IO following nephroureterectomy (median four cycles, including eleven (14.7%) nivolumab, thirty-one (41.3%) pembrolizumab, four (5.3%) atezolizumab, and twenty-nine (38.6%) other agents. These patients were matched to 68 patients without adjuvant therapy. Median follow-up times were 17 (IQR, 10–29) months and 20 (9–44) months for IO and no adjuvant therapy, respectively. Multivariable analysis revealed that adjuvant IO was not associated with URFS, NRFS, or OS. Pathologic nodal involvement (HR 7.52, p < 0.001) was the only independent predictor of worse OS. Conclusions: In this real-world retrospective data set, adjuvant IO does not have an impact on oncologic outcomes of UTUC patients following extirpative surgery.

Purpose To investigate the feasibility and safety of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) to treat large (T2) cystic renal-cell carcinoma. Methods A multinational study was conducted worldwide. Patients with renal tumors larger than 7cm who underwent partial nephrectomy between December 2007 and July 2017 were recruited retrospectively. The patients were divided into solid tumor group (143 cases) and cystic tumor group (28 cases). Baseline parameters, tumor characteristics, perioperative variables, and pathological outcomes were collected. Results Between cystic and solid tumors, no statistically significant differences were detected in age, gender, BMI, ASA score, clinical tumor size, laterality, or R.E.N.A.L nephrometry score. Operating time, warm ischemic time, estimated blood loss, complications, histology outcomes, and margin status were comparable. Pathology of 6 cystic tumors came back benign (21.4%). In solid tumors, 6 intraoperative bleeding require transfusion, 1 ureteral damage, and 3 postoperative urinary fistulas were observed. In cystic tumors, conversion to radical nephrectomy happened in one case, because of sticky fat and the risk of cyst rupture. In two cases, postoperative bleeding was treated with embolism. The longest follow-up was 113 months. In cystic group, 1 recurrence or metastasis was observed, while in solid group, 14 cases were observed. Conclusion RAPN can be safely performed to treat large (T2) cystic renal-cell carcinoma. Patients with cystic renal-cell carcinoma exhibited favorable renal function recovery after robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN), which maximally preserved normal renal tissue and its function. Further studies are needed to better understand the role of RAPN for these challenging cases.

Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is a rare malignancy, representing only 5–10% of urothelial carcinoma. The mainstay of treatment for high-risk patients is radical nephroureterectomy. Given the aggressive behavior of this disease, additional treatments could be required perioperatively in terms of chemotherapy (CHT), either in a neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting. On the other hand, low-risk and selected cases can be managed with kidney-sparing surgery (KSS). The ROBotic surgery for Upper tract Urothelial cancer STudy (ROBUUST) is an ongoing international, multicenter registry of patients undergoing surgery for UTUC. After conducting a literature search in February 2025 using the MEDLINE (via PubMed) and Embase databases, we identified 14 studies based on the ROBUUST data analyses. There are several key topics concerning UTUC that remain under debate and were therefore addressed in these studies, focusing on preoperative evaluation and planning, surgical techniques and intraoperative procedures, additional perioperative treatments, and outcomes. The ROBUUST registry has served as a valuable source for a growing body of investigations focusing on various aspects of UTUC treatment planning, decision-making, and outcomes, providing innovative tools and enabling large-scale, novel analyses.

Purpose of Review Conflict is inevitable in any setting where individuals must work towards a common goal. In the context of a surgical residency, there exists several etiologies through which conflict can emerge and be exacerbated. It is important to understand how best to resolve these issues as collaboration is essential among residents, faculty, and hospital staff to achieve the best patient outcomes and resident training. Recent Findings There exists many strategies for conflict resolution such as the Thomas Kilmann Conflict Model, Levine 7-Step Model, or AIDET communication framework. Many of these emphasize the importance of understanding the role of perspective for those involved in conflict. Our review provides background to these tools and their applications in resolving conflicts. Summary In this review, we highlight sources of resident conflict, and models of resolution that can be employed. Furthermore, we provide applications of how conflict resolution strategies can directly address common problems encountered within surgical residencies.

Introduction The efficacy of combined neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy (CNAT) in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) remains unclear despite its demonstrated potential in bladder urothelial carcinoma. High-risk features– clinical stage ≥ T3, node-positive disease, multifocality, high-grade pathology, hydronephrosis, and large tumor size – are associated with poor prognosis in UTUC. We investigated the oncological outcomes of CNAT versus adjuvant therapy (AT) alone in high-risk UTUC patients. Materials and Methods We analyzed perioperative data from 2433 patients with UTUC (2015–2023) across 17 centers in the US, Europe, and Asia. Propensity score matching was performed using preoperative clinical T and N stages. Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and metastasis-free survival (MFS). Results Among 285 high-risk UTUC patients, 76 matched patients (38 CNAT, 38 AT) were analyzed after matching, with a median follow-up of 15 months. CNAT and AT groups had comparable oncological outcomes: 2-year OS (72.9% vs. 71.8%; p = 0.89), CSS (76.7% vs. 75.3%; p = 0.92), RFS (30.1% vs. 39%; p = 0.97), or MFS (45.5% vs. 44.7%; p = 0.91), respectively. Cox regression showed no significant survival benefit of CNAT over AT after adjusting for clinical and pathological factors (HR for OS: 1.06; p = 0.9). Conclusion In this large multicenter international cohort, our findings suggest that CNAT does not provide a clear advantage over AT alone in patients with high-risk UTUC. Prospective randomized trials are needed to clarify the role of multimodal therapy in UTUC management.

Robotic assisted partial nephrectomy (RPN) has emerged in urologic practice for the management of appropriately sized renal masses. We provide a 20-year comparison of the outcomes of open partial nephrectomy (OPN) versus RPN for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) at our institution. An IRB-approved retrospective review was conducted of RCC patients at a single institution from 2000 to 2022 who underwent RPN or OPN. In addition to demographics, procedural details including ischemia and operative time were collected. Oncologic outcomes were evaluated through Kaplan–Meier statistical analysis to determine recurrence-free survival (RFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) analysis. 849 patients underwent RPN while 385 underwent OPN. 61% were male with average age of 58.8 ± 12.8 years. Operative time was shorter in the open group (184 vs 200 min, p = 0.002), as was ischemia time (16 vs 19 min, p = 0.047). However, after 2012, RPN became more common than OPN with improving ischemia time. RPN patients had significantly improved RFS (HR 0.45, p = 0.0004) and OS (HR 0.51, p = 0.0016) when controlled for T-stage and margin status. More > pT1 masses were managed with OPN than RPN (11.2 vs 5.4%, p < 0.0001). At our institution, RPN had an increasing incidence with reduced ischemia time compared to OPN over the last 10 years. While higher stage renal masses were more often managed with OPN, selective use of RPN does offer improved oncologic outcomes. Further investigation is needed to evaluate optimization of the selection of RPN versus OPN in the nephron-sparing management of renal masses.