Minimally Invasive Kidney Cancer Treatments Boosts Patient Recovery

Minimally invasive and robotic surgical techniques help enhance patients’ recovery and quality of life, according to Dr. Ravi Munver, the vice chair of Urology at John Theurer Cancer Center and professor of Urology and chief of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, New Jersey.

Munver sat down for an interview with CURE live from John Theurer Cancer Center, during which, he discussed how minimally invasive treatment options have improved outcomes for patients with kidney cancer.

Transcript

How have minimally invasive approaches and robotic surgical techniques changed outcomes for these patients?

Minimally invasive surgery has been the hallmark of how surgery has evolved, benefiting patients in terms of their recovery and overall quality of life. The introduction of laparoscopic, or keyhole, surgery has progressed to robotic keyhole surgery. Through very small incisions, we can insert instruments with a telescopic camera to look inside the abdomen where the kidney is located and focus on removing the tumors or the entire kidney itself.

In addition, we are now utilizing three-dimensional anatomical models that are created with artificial intelligence from patients' CT scans or MRIs. These allow us to do preoperative planning and help with intraoperative navigation. During surgery, this means we can use these three-dimensional models to understand where the tumor is in the kidney, how deep it penetrates, and if it's involving other structures we need to be concerned about so we can remove the tumor and preserve the kidney.

Therefore, minimally invasive surgery and these three-dimensional imaging modalities have allowed us to offer the majority of our patients a partial nephrectomy. Partial nephrectomy means removing just the part of the kidney with the tumor itself and preserving the rest of the kidney so that patients can have a better quality of life and minimize their risk of needing dialysis in the future.

Reference

1. Understanding Recent Treatment Advancements in Kidney Cancer Care, by Ryan Scott. CURE, Sept. 22, 2025. https://www.curetoday.com/view/understanding-recent-treatment-advancements-in-kidney-cancer-care

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

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