Application of water jet technology and argon plasma coagulation in nephron-sparing surgery for a kidney tumour – a case report.

Owing to the ever increasing role of medical imaging (e.g. ultrasonography, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging), the number of incidentally detected kidney tumours is growing as well. These tumours are usually small renal masses (SRMs) at early advancement stages (1). According to the guidelines of the European Society of Urology, kidney tumours at early stages (T1) should be treated with nephron-sparing surgery (NSS). In the long term, this type of treatment allows renal function preservation, decreases overall mortality and reduces the incidence of cardiovascular events (2). The main goals of NSS are tumour removal with negative surgical margins and preservation of the best possible function of the remaining renal parenchyma with minimised risk of adverse events. The progress of medical technologies renders surgical procedures more and more effective.