A Comparison of 30-Day Perioperative Outcomes in Open Versus Minimally Invasive Nephroureterectomy for Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: Analysis of 896 Patients from the American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Database

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Minimally invasive surgery for nephroureterectomy (MINU) in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is increasingly used among urologists with reported equivalent oncologic outcomes compared with open nephroureterectomy (ONU). Population-level data comparing perioperative outcomes between these approaches remain limited, however. We sought to compare perioperative outcomes between MINU and ONU in a prospectively collected national cohort of patients.

METHODS: Between 2006 and 2012, patients who underwent nephroureterectomy for UTUC within the American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database were categorized into MINU or ONU. Our primary outcome of interest was 30-day perioperative complications. Secondary outcomes included use of lymph node dissection (LND), transfusion, reintervention and readmission rate, operative time, length of stay (LOS), and perioperative mortality. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between outcomes and surgical approach.

RESULTS: A total of 599 (66.9%) and 297 (33.1%) patients underwent MINU and ONU, respectively. Overall, 12.7% of patients experienced a complication within 30 days postoperatively, and the rate did not differ among surgical approaches. Patients in the MINU group, however, had a decreased LOS (P<0.001). On multivariable analysis, patients receiving MINU were less likely to undergo a LND (OR 0.13; P<0.001), had decreased risk of thromboembolic complications (odds ratio [OR] 0.13; P=0.018), decreased need for transfusion (OR 0.39; P=0.001), and decreased need for operative reintervention (OR 0.24; P=0.024).

CONCLUSIONS: Patients receiving MINU have similar overall complication rates compared with ONU. MINU, however, was associated with a decreased risk of blood transfusions, thromboembolic events, reintervention, and overall LOS compared with ONU. MINU should be considered as a primary approach in select groups of patients with UTUC.