Transurethral electric coagulation combined with retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephroureterectomy for upper urinary urothelial carcinoma.

Retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephroureterectomy (LNU) combined with transurethral electric resection of ipsilateral bladder cuff is widely accepted to treat the upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UUT-UC). To reduce the local recurrence rate, we improved the procedure from electric resection to electric coagulation. From May 2008 to July 2012, of all the 156 retroperitoneal LNU patients, 76 cases (test group) were performed with LNU combined with electric coagulation, and 80 cases (control group) were with electric resection. For the clinical outcomes, the hospital stay in the test group was shorter (5.2 ± 2.6 days versus 8.2 ± 3.4 days; P < 0.05), and the 1-year tumor recurrence rate was much lower (1.6% versus 13.3%, P < 0.05). There was no difference in operation time and blood loss between groups. Retroperitoneal LNU combined with electric coagulation is technically feasible and safe with lower tumor recurrence rate and shorter hospital stay.