Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Nephroureterectomy versus Hand-Assisted Laparoscopic Nephroureterectomy for Upper Urinary Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: A Matched Comparison Study

Objectives. To investigate the perioperative and oncological outcomes of hand-assisted laparoscopic nephroureterectomy (HANU) and robotic-assisted nephroureterectomy (RANU). Methods. Patients who underwent RANU were matched by sex, age (±5 years), and tumor location to those who underwent HANU; 18 matched pairs were included. Results. Each group consisted of five men and 13 women. The mean age was 70.4 years in RANU group and 69.6 years in HANU group (p=0.646). Each group contained 10 patients with tumor location in the renal pelvis, five in the ureter, and three in both sites. The median follow-up time was 6.1 months for the RANU group and 47.8 months for the HANU group. The demographic and pathological data did not differ significantly. The RANU group had significantly less blood loss (p<0.001), resumed oral intake earlier (p=0.043), and had shorter hospital stays (p=0.014) but higher pain scores associated with their wounds (p=0.043). The oncological outcomes were comparable with those of the HANU group. Conclusions. Our results show that the RANU and HANU groups have comparable operative, early postoperative, and functional outcomes. A longer follow-up period would be needed for final comparison of oncological outcome.