Extraperitoneal laparoscopic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection after chemotherapy for nonseminomatous testicular germ-cell tumor: Surgical and oncological outcomes

Purpose: To assess the surgical and oncological outcomes of laparoscopic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) after chemotherapy. Methods: Twenty patients with metastatic nonseminomatous testicular germ-cell tumor underwent extraperitoneal laparoscopic RPLND after chemotherapy. The procedure was not indicated for patients with a pre-chemotherapy mass larger than 5 cm. Morbidity and oncological outcome were reviewed retrospectively. Surgical complications were graded according to the Clavien classification system. Results: Laparoscopic RPLND was completed in all patients, and there was no conversion to open surgery. The median operating time was 223 min (range, 137-399 min). The median blood loss was 20 ml (range, 10-520 ml). There were no intraoperative complications. Postoperatively, 4 patients (20 %) had prolonged lymphorrhea (grade I) and 9 (45 %) had chyle leakage (grade I). Histological examination of the residual mass revealed necrosis in 16 (80 %) and the presence of teratoma with/without viable tumor in 4 (20 %). With a median follow-up of 45 months (range, 24-112), no patient has had disease recurrence. Normal antegrade ejaculation was preserved in all of the 14 patients studied. Conclusion: s Extraperitoneal laparoscopic RPLND can be performed with acceptable morbidity and excellent cancer control in select patients. Surgeons should be aware of relatively high incidence of chyle leakage following this procedure.