Is there a model to teach and practice retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy?

Laparascopic nephrectomy: different techniques and approaches

Nephrectomy is, perhaps, one of the techniques in which laparoscopic approach has been widely used. It has quickly evolved since Clayman introduced it in 1990 with a renal tumor. Since then, its goodness has been extrapolated to most entities that require surgical removal of the kidney. We review the current most discussed aspects referred to the main laparoscopic nephrectomy techniques (simple nephrectomy, nephroureterectomy, radical, and nephron-sparing nephrectomy) and particularities of this approach.

Laparoscopic radical and partial nephrectomy: The clinical efficacy and acceptance of the techniques

The laparoscopic approach has been established as the surgical procedure of choice for radical nephrectomy during the recent years. The advantages of the laparoscopic radical nephrectomy in comparison to the open approach are well-documented. The oncological results of the laparoscopic approach are similar to the open procedure while the post-operative morbidity is lower. Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy seems to gain ground to its open counterpart, as the accumulation of experience in the technique grows. In this review, a PubMed search in the latest literature on radical and partial laparoscopic nephrectomy took place and the outcome of the search is presented. Several issues about the surgical techniques and clinical efficacy are discussed. In addition, the preliminary experience in laparoscopic nephrectomy of one of the authoring institutions is also presented.