Changing patterns in the surgical management of renal masses

Objective To describe the temporal trends in surgical techniques for the management of renal masses at a single Spanish academic institution and identify factors associated with partial nephrectomy (PN) decision. Materials and methods A total of 646 patients were treated by surgery for clinically localized renal masses from January 2004 to December 2012 at a tertiary referral center. Surgical techniques included open radical nephrectomy (RN), open PN, laparoscopic RN, and laparoscopic PN. Descriptive statistics were used to compare baseline characteristics and proportions of patients treated by different surgical techniques. Annual trends in the proportion of procedures performed were determined. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to evaluate clinical variables predictive of PN. Results During the 9-year study period, the proportion of PN relative to RN increased from 21% to 55%. With regard to surgical approach, open procedures for both RN and PN decreased gradually in favor of minimally invasive approaches (83% in 2004 to 4% in 2011–2012). While median tumor size did not significantly change over the study period, laparoscopic PN became the most commonly performed kidney procedure in 2011–2012 (49% of all procedures). Clinical variables independently predictive of partial nephrectomy were ASA score, baseline renal function and tumor size (all p Conclusions At our academic institution, temporal trends in the management of renal masses have established PN as the most common surgical option. Although PN was increasingly used over the study period, a parallel increase in minimally invasive approaches for RN and PN was seen.