Renal-artery pseudoaneurysm after laparoscopic partial nephrectomy

Abstract

Background and purpose: Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) has emerged as a minimally invasive treatment for small renal masses. The most common complications include hemorrhage and urinary-fistula formulation. Renal-artery pseudoaneurysm has been described after open nephron-sparing surgery. We present two cases of renal-artery aneurysm following LPN.

Case reports: Two patients with incidentally discovered renal masses underwent LPN with excellent hemostasis and presented in a delayed fashion with gross hematuria and flank pain. Both patients were treated with angiographic coil embolization, resulting in resolution of the pseudoaneurysms on postprocedure imaging.

Conclusions: Renal-artery pseudoaneurysm is a potentially life-threatening complication of LPN. Patients present in a delayed fashion with gross hematuria, flank pain, or both. The treatment of choice is angiography with selective coil embolization.