The Learning Curve for Radical Nephrectomy for Kidney Cancer: Implications for Surgical Training

Autor: Alessandro Larcher, Francesco Cei, Federico Belladelli, Giuseppe Rosiello, Carlo Andrea Bravi, Giuseppe Fallara, Giuseppe Basile, Roberta Lucianò, Pierre Karakiewicz, Alexandre Mottrie, Alberto Breda, Alberto Briganti, Andrea Salonia, Roberto Bertini, Francesco Montorsi, Umberto Capitanio
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: European Urology Open Science, Vol 49, Iss , Pp 11-14 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2666-1683
DOI: 10.1016/j.euros.2022.12.007
Popis: Although radical nephrectomy (RN) is the most common treatment for kidney cancer, no data on the learning curve for RN are available. In this study we investigated the effect of surgical experience (EXP) on RN outcomes using data for 1184 patients treated with RN for a cT1–3a cN0 cM0 renal mass. EXP was defined as the total number of RNs performed by each surgeon before the patient’s operation. The primary study outcomes were all-cause mortality, clinical progression, Clavien-Dindo grade ≥2 postoperative complications (CD ≥2), and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Secondary outcomes were operative time, estimated blood loss, and length of stay. Multivariable analyses adjusted for case mix revealed no evidence of association between EXP and all-cause mortality (p = 0.7), clinical progression (p = 0.2), CD ≥2 (p = 0.6), or 12-mo eGFR (p = 0.9). Conversely, EXP was associated with shorter operative time (estimate −0.9; p < 0.01). Mortality, cancer control, morbidity, and renal function might not be affected by EXP. The very large cohort examined and the extensive follow-up support the validity of these negative findings. Patient summary: For patients with kidney cancer undergoing surgical removal of a kidney, those treated by novice surgeons have similar clinical outcomes to those treated by experienced surgeons. Thus, this procedure represents a convenient scenario for surgical training if longer operating theatre time can be planned.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals