Background: Robotic-assisted surgery was proposed as an alternative to open surgery for management of inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombus together with radical nephrectomy in complex renal mass. Here, the authors reported the first case of this type to be managed via this surgical technique in Thailand.

Case Report: A 76-year-old Thai female presented with right renal mass with tumor thrombus in the IVC extending 3 cm above the level of the renal vein. The presumed diagnosis was renal cell carcinoma of the right kidney with level 2 tumor thrombus in IVC, clinical staging T3bN0M0. The patient underwent robotic-assisted laparoscopic IVC thrombectomy together with right radical nephrectomy at Siriraj Hospital (Bangkok, Thailand) in May 2020.

Results: The operation proceeded uneventfully without immediate complication. The postoperative reduction of IVC diameter was approximately 30%. Total IVC clamp time was 50 minutes, operative time was five hours, with docking time of 20 minutes and console time of 250 minutes, estimated intraoperative blood loss was 2,600 mL, and length of hospital stay was four days. At 30-days and 90-days postoperation, no thromboembolic event or compromising lower extremity venous return was detected. The pathological report revealed high-grade urothelial cell carcinoma with invasion into perinephric fat. Carcinoma involvement was observed in the tumor thrombus and IVC wall (T4N0M0).

Conclusion: Robotic-assisted surgery of the IVC is a complex operation that requires robotic surgical proficiency and a highly experienced team. The observed success in the present case demonstrated the feasibly of this procedure in Thailand. Additional benefits include less postoperative pain, reduced blood loss, smaller surgical wound size, and shorter length of hospital stay.

Keywords: Robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical nephrectomy; Inferior vena cava thrombectomy; Thailand

DOI: 10.35755/jmedassocthai.2023.10.13852

Received 26 May 2023 | Revised 15 September 2023 | Accepted 26 September 2023