Surgical treatment of kidney cancer: the da Vinci robot and FireFly technology
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Most types of cancer do not cause any symptoms for a long time, as a result of which they are diagnosed in advanced stages. But this statement does not apply to kidney cancer. Almost half of cases of this cancer are detected at the first stage, so most patients can have their kidney cancer cured with minimally invasive surgery. Doctors abroad use not only open and laparoscopic surgery but also robotic operations using FireFly technology.
Content
- Benefits of robotic surgery in oncology
- FireFly technology in cancer surgery
- Where can you undergo robotic surgery?
Benefits of robotic surgery in oncology
The main, and for most patients, the only necessary treatment for kidney cancer is surgery. The doctor removes the kidney along with the tumor to cure the cancer.
In the early stages, surgeons can perform not complete but partial surgical kidney removal. This type of surgery reduces the risk of developing kidney failure in the postoperative period.
Surgical interventions for kidney cancer are performed using three methods. In the twentieth century, mainly open interventions through a large incision were used. In the 21st century, a laparoscopic approach has become widespread, so surgeons in most clinics in developed countries perform operations through short skin and soft tissue incisions. Such surgical procedures are less traumatic and safer.
Finally, the pinnacle of progress was Da Vinci robotic kidney surgery. Such an operation was first performed for kidney cancer in 2000.
A robotic surgeon performs an operation similar to a laparoscopic one. The difference is that all actions are performed not manually by a surgeon but by robotic manipulators, which the doctor controls remotely.
The benefits of this approach are as follows:
- An ideal overview of the surgical field
- Availability of additional tools for intraoperative diagnostics, for example, FireFly technology for assessing blood flow
- Clear movements and perfectly straight incisions
- No tremor (the robot's hands never shake)
- The robotic surgeon can perform the necessary actions in hard-to-reach areas
Da Vinci robot kidney surgery allows doctors to perform technically challenging procedures with better results, such as partial surgical removal of a single kidney or the surgical treatment of recurrent cancer where extensive scarring has occurred after a previous operation.
Robotic surgery is also suitable for removing newly diagnosed tumors with inconvenient localizations. It allows for a partial nephrectomy to be performed in cases where the entire kidney would have to be removed without this technique.
Below are the benefits of robotic surgery for the patient compared to laparoscopic surgery:
- A higher likelihood of complete tumor removal surgery in complex situations
- A lower risk of complications
- A lower chance of conversion to open surgery
- A less traumatic surgical procedure
- Less blood loss
- A reduced duration of the operation
- Less postoperative discomfort
- A shorter hospital stay
- Reduced recovery time
- A lower risk of hospital readmission in the first month after the patient's discharge from the hospital
FireFly technology in cancer surgery
Some hospitals that use the Da Vinci machine for kidney surgery also use FireFly technology. It involves using a green dye to assess the blood supply to the tumor. This innovative cancer treatment technology is mainly used for a partial nephrectomy, the removal of a part of the kidney. It was first used in 2013.
A partial nephrectomy is performed at an early stage of cancer as well as in cases where a person has only one functioning kidney left. If this one kidney is affected by a tumor, the complete removal of the organ will result in chronic kidney failure with the need for regular dialysis or a kidney transplant.
Partial surgical kidney cancer treatment is common in developed countries. Although this operation is technically more complex, it preserves kidney function.
Kidney cancer is mainly diagnosed in old age. Therefore, already at the time of diagnosis, 25% of patients have laboratory signs of kidney failure. The main goal of the FireFly technology is to preserve more functioning renal parenchyma. It reduces the risk of developing kidney failure after cancer treatment.
During minimally invasive kidney cancer treatment with the Da Vinci robot, the doctor uses near-infrared fluorescence imaging. The technology allows imaging of small blood vessels in order to perform selective or superselective clamping of the arterial branches of the kidney tumor. Large blood vessels feeding the renal parenchyma do not need to be compressed. As a result, healthy tissue does not suffer from a lack of blood supply and does not die, and patients after surgery are less likely to suffer from impaired kidney function. Even if it is reduced to a certain extent, the severity of kidney failure decreases.
Additional benefits include the following:
- It is easier for the doctor to distinguish tumor tissue from healthy tissue, so there is a higher probability of complete tumor removal with a partial nephrectomy
- Blood loss is reduced as the risk of damage to large blood vessels is reduced
- After tumor removal surgery, FireFly technology allows doctors to evaluate the blood supply to the operated kidney, making sure that it is completely restored
Where can you undergo robotic surgery?
Robotic surgery for cancer requires special equipment and experienced specialists who can perform such surgical procedures safely and with good oncological results. Therefore, not all clinics offer patients such operations.
You are welcome to use the Booking Health service if you need a good modern clinic abroad. The company's website presents the best hospitals in Germany. You can choose the most suitable medical center, find out the Da Vinci kidney surgery cost, and make a treatment appointment for your preferred dates.
Robotic surgery with FireFly technology is used at the Hospital Bogenhausen Munich, Germany. You can find out prices on the Booking Health website. If you make an appointment for your treatment through the Booking Health service, costs for medical services will be lower due to the absence of additional fees for foreign patients. Please leave your request on the website to receive advice and a full package of services for organizing your treatment abroad.
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Authors:
The article was edited by medical experts, board certified doctors Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova and Dr. Vadim Zhiliuk. For the treatment of the conditions referred to in the article, you must consult a doctor; the information in the article is not intended for self-medication!
Our editorial policy, which details our commitment to accuracy and transparency, is available here. Click this link to review our policies.
Sources:
NIH, National Library of Medicine
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