Nephroureterectomy with bladder cuff

Abstract

Urothelial cancer of the upper urinary tract is an uncommon urological malignancy. In cases of high-grade malignancy and/or tumor burden not amenable to minimally invasive procedures such as endoscopic resection and/or laser versus electrocautery fulguration, the gold standard has been open nephroureterectomy with bladder cuff excision. With the advent of laparoscopy and robotic surgery, nephroureterectomy can be performed in minimally invasive fashion with comparable oncological outcomes and with decreased morbidity. In this chapter, we review the technique of minimally invasive nephroureterectomy and discuss its complications, with particular focus on those associated with distal ureterectomy and bladder cuff excision and the means to prevent such complications.