A Retrospective Single-Center Comparative Study Between Robot-Assisted and Laparoscopic Radical Nephroureterectomy for Upper-Tract Urothelial Carcinoma on Perioperative Results, Overall Survival, and Recurrence Rate

Introduction Patients with localized high-risk urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract are advised radical nephroureterectomy, the surgical removal of the kidney and ureter, utilizing robot-assisted versus laparoscopic methods. This study aims to compare the surgical and oncological results of robot-assisted and laparoscopic radical nephroureterectomy for upper-tract urothelial carcinoma. Methods An observational retrospective cohort study compared 14 patients who had robotic-assisted nephroureterctomy (RAN) to 16 patients who had laparoscopic assisted nephroureterctomy (LAN). Results There was no significant difference in age, sex, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), creatinine, Charlson comorbidity score, length of hospital stays, or the need to convert to an open approach. However, there was a statistical difference between the two procedures in terms of lymph dissection (p-value of 0.037) and the length of the procedure (p-value of 0.09). Conclusions The robotic approach has significantly higher use for lymph node dissection, while laparoscopic radical nephroureterectomy has a shorter operation time.