Comparison of laparoscopic versus open simple nephrectomy in patients with xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis: A singlecenter analysis of outcomes and predictors of surgical approaches and complications

Abstract. Background. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of open simple nephrectomy and laparoscopic simple nephrectomy in patients with xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGP) in a single-institutional retrospective study and to identify predictive factors of surgical approaches and complications. Materials and methods. We retrospectively analyzed the data of 67 consecutive patients with a histopathological diagnosis of XGP who underwent either open simple nephrectomy (ON) or laparoscopic simple nephrectomy (LN) from January 2014 to April 2020. The primary endpoint was the evaluation of perioperative outcomes and complications. Secondary endpoints were to define factors influencing the surgical approach and the likelihood of postoperative complications. Results. Overall, 44 out of 67 patients (65.67%) underwent ON, while 23 (34.33%) underwent LN. Patients in the ON group experienced more postoperative pain according to the visual analogic scale (p = 0.032). Moreover, time to deambulation and time to return to full daily activities, assessed according to the 12-Item Short Form Survey physical and mental component summary scores questionnaires, were significantly shorter in the LN group (p = 0.021, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively). Of note, there were no significant differences in intraoperative and postoperative complication rates among the groups (p = 0.258 and p = 0.317, respectively). No conversion to open surgery was described. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that urgency (p = 0.025) was the only predictor associated with a higher risk of intraoperative complications. However, no independent factors associated with postoperative complications or with the surgical approach of choice were found. Conclusions. Based on our results, laparoscopic treatment of XGP represents a feasible alternative to ON, resulting in less postoperative pain and faster recovery. In skilled hands, LN should be considered as the treatment of choice for XGP.