ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome in patients with renal cell carcinoma [RCC] and the inferior vena cava [IVC] or the right atrium tumor thrombus that were treated with radical nephrectomy and thrombectomy. Eleven of a total of 105 patients who underwent radical nephrectomy due to RCC had tumor thrombus extended to the IVC and/or the right atrium. We evaluated the surgical techniques used and the perioperative mortality and morbidity in these patients. The median age of the patients was 47 years [range, 16 to 59 years]. They all underwent radical nephrectomy with cavotomy, tumor thrombus removal, and lymphadenectomy. Eight patients underwent extracorporeal circulation and hypothermic circulatory arrest; 2, temporary venovenous bypass by chevron incision and median sternotomy; and 1, only chevron incision with mobilization of the right lobe of the liver and cross-clamping proximal to the tumor thrombus and cavotomy. In 1 case, a solitary liver metastasis was excised and the patient died within 30 days postoperatively because of massive hemorrhage due to liver metastatectomy. Two patients had invasion to the IVC wall and 7 had pathological lymph node involvement. Four patients were tumor free [follow-up range, 9 to 18 months] and 7 died due to multiple metastases during the follow-up. This study supports the role of extensive surgical treatment as the best initial management of patients with renal cancer extended to the IVC only in highly selected cases