Robotic Nephroureterectomy

Abstract

Upper tract urothelial carcinoma is a rare malignancy that has an abundance of surgical treatment options, including open, laparoscopic, robotic, and endoscopic approaches. As advances in technology allow for shorter, less morbid operations, the variation in care of this uncommon disease has raised concerns about compromising oncologic principles. Many institutions have described their experience with promising results; however, there is a paucity of high-quality data that supports the use of robotic surgery as a new gold standard. This article describes how to perform the operation using a single-dock method and reviews contemporary literature on perioperative and oncologic outcomes.

Keywords: Distal ureterectomy; Minimally invasive; Nephroureterectomy; Robotic; Upper tract urothelial carcinoma.