Ultrasound-guided renal artery balloon catheter occluded hybrid partial nephrectomy (UBo-HPN) with branch renal artery occlusion: a single arm trial

Abstract

Background One key focus of partial nephrectomy is preserving renal function. Segmental renal artery occlusion with microdissection at the renal hilum confines ischemia, effectively reducing warm ischemic injury. Ultrasound-Guided Renal Artery Balloon Catheter Occluded Hybrid Partial Nephrectomy (UBo-HPN) can achieve branch occlusion without the need for dissecting the renal hilum. Objective To investigate the feasibility and safety of UBo-HPN of branch renal artery occlusion in the treatment of localized renal tumors. Subject and methods A prospective single-arm analysis involving 20 patients with renal localized tumors underwent robot assisted UBo-HPN with branch renal artery occlusion from August 2021 to July 2023, with an average follow-up of 12 months. Results All patient was successfully operated on without conversion to conventional arterial clamping or radical nephrectomy. One case (5%) of minor complication occurred in the whole cohort, which was bruising around the puncture site. The mean total operative time was 95.8 min, with a mean operative time of 21.25 min for vascular intervention. The mean warm ischemia time was 20.35 min, and the median estimated blood loss was 50 ml. The median eGFR preservation percentage at postoperative 48 h, 30 days, and the latest follow-up were 87.52%, 91.47%, and 92.2%, respectively. After a median follow-up of 10.2 (2.3–19.2) months, no patients had radiological tumor recurrence or died from tumor-related causes. Conclusions UBo-HPN with renal artery branch occlusion emerges as an efficient alternative to partial nephrectomy (PN), which achieved branch artery occlusion without dissecting the renal hilum. Long-term follow-up is expected for functional outcomes.