The present study retrospectively investigated the influence of CS on the occurrence of CSE after RAPN in cases with a low RNS N score (N1-2). CS was measured using 3D imaging software and enhanced CT scan images. The average CS was 11.8 ± 4.9 cm2. The C factor was the only significant factor influencing CSE in the multivariable regression. We then attempted to develop novel models using the C factor for predicting CSE. The mREC and mRELC models, which included the C factor, were significantly better than the corresponding models without the C factor (i.e., the mRE and mREL models, respectively) for predicting CSE. The C-index values were 0.750 (mREC), 0.736 (mRELC), 0.646 (mRE), and 0.636 (mREL), which suggested that the addition of the C score to the RNS improved the accuracy of predicting CSE. Since 50% of patients in the preoperative ureteral catheter placement group did not show CSE, the medical costs and degree of treatment invasiveness could be reduced if CSE could be predicted preoperatively.
The RNS is used to predict the difficulty of partial nephrectomy, and higher scores have been reported to correlate with the ischemic time, postoperative renal function, operative time, and duration of hospitalization.14,15 The N factor of the RNS represents the tumor’s proximity to the collecting system or sinus, and high scores for the N factor have been correlated with the occurrence of CSE.10 An N factor score of 3 represents a distance less than 4 mm, which indicates a high probability of CSE. Consistent with this finding, the incidence of positive CSE in cases with an N score of 3 in our cohort was 71% (70/98 cases). However, CSE can often occur during RAPN in cases with low N scores of 1–2. Although the higher incidence of CSE in cases with high N scores is intuitively easy to understand, no previous studies, to our knowledge, have analyzed the reasons influencing the occurrence of CSE in cases with a low N score. Therefore, we aimed to identify a novel factor for predicting positive CSE. The CS represents the contact area between the renal tumor and renal parenchyma, and it can be easily calculated using 3D analysis software by generalizing 3D software in clinical practice. In previous reports, a higher CS was associated with a longer warm ischemic time, higher estimated blood loss, longer duration of hospitalization, and decreased renal function.13 However, considering the lack of studies evaluating the influence of CS on the occurrence of CSE, we analyzed this influence by evaluating the relationship between CSE and CS in the present study.
This analysis revealed that the most important factor influencing the occurrence of CSE in patients with a low N score is not a large tumor diameter or the endophytic nature of the tumor but a large CS. One of the reasons for this finding could be that the resection line “curve” becomes longer when a tumor shows a large contact area, which contributes to a larger CS. Additionally, a large CS increases the difficulty of imaging the cutting line, necessitating larger and deeper resection to avoid a positive surgical margin.
Urine leakage is one of the complications of PN that are related to incomplete repair of the CSE.16–19 The incidence of urine leakage has been reported to be approximately 1%-5% in some cohorts,17,20,21 and the available options for urine leakage include observation, ureteral drainage, percutaneous drainage, and surgical interventions.22–24 Preoperative ureteral catheterization has been widely used to recognize and prevent the occurrence of urine leakage.25 However, the use of ureteral catheter placement in all PN cases is questionable because of the increased cost and extended operation time.26
At our hospital, preoperative ureteral catheter placement was performed in all N3 cases, but in N1-2 cases, it was only performed when deemed necessary at the preoperative conference. However, there were no clear criteria for ureteral catheter placement, and approximately 50% of the cases involving ureteral catheter placement in our cohort did not have CSE, so a clearer catheter placement standard was thought to be necessary considering the medical costs and complications associated with catheter placement (including ureteral perforation and hematuria). Thus, the new scoring system to predict CSE using the C factor may be useful for determining cases requiring ureteral catheter placement.
We acknowledge that the present study has several limitations. The study population was small, and it was examined in a retrospective manner. In addition, CS measurements required 3D image software, like Synapse Vincent®. Thus, our results need to be validated using larger cohorts in future studies.
It has been recognized that a discussion of whether a ureteral catheter insertion is required or not when CSE occurs is essential. In order to perform RAPN safely, it is important to be attentive when finding the entry point on the cutting surface and confirming a satisfactory closure after suturing. This model may help us to recognize CSE preoperatively in N1-2 cases, and we believe this may help surgeons, especially novice surgeons, perform RAPN safely.
In conclusion, we investigated the effect of the CS area in predicting CSE in a patient with a low N score (N1-2) on the RNS who underwent RAPN. The findings showed that the C score was most strongly associated with CSE among all factors of the RNS. The mREC and mRELC scores, which included the C factor, showed high accuracy in predicting CSE, and preoperative ureteral catheter placement may be considered for cases with high mREC and mRECL scores.