Tumour removed from transplanted kidney by robot-assisted surgery

Fortis Hospital announced it has treated two urological cancer cases using robotic surgery, including the removal of a cancerous tumour from a transplanted kidney.

Dr Dharmender Aggarwal, Consultant, Uro-Oncology and Robotic Surgery, said a 56-year-old patient who had undergone a kidney transplant in 2018 was diagnosed with a 3-cm tumour in the organ. The patient was treated using robot-assisted transplant kidney partial nephrectomy, which allowed the tumour to be removed while preserving the function of the kidney.

“This was a complex case due to scar tissue from previous surgeries. Operating around a transplanted kidney is technically challenging, but robotic surgery helped us achieve precision,” said Dr Aggarwal. He added the patient began walking within 10 hours after the procedure and was discharged on the third day. The patient has now made a full recovery.

In another case, a 62-year-old man presented with blood in his urine and was found to have a 14-cm tumour in his right kidney, which had spread into the renal vein and the inferior vena cava — a major vein carrying blood to the heart. A robotic radical nephrectomy with IVC thrombectomy was performed, and the entire tumour and thrombus were successfully removed.

“This tumour was dangerously close to the heart. There was a high risk of cardiac arrest if the thrombus had dislodged. We carefully secured the vein at three points before removing the tumour,” explained Dr Aggarwal. The patient also made a swift recovery and was discharged within three days.

Dr Aggarwal said, “Compared to traditional open surgery, robotic procedures result in less pain, minimal scarring, shorter hospital stays and faster recovery. The robotic arms can rotate 360 degrees and provide a 3D view, allowing us to operate on areas that are otherwise difficult to access.”