Predicting renal function after kidney cancer surgery: a tool for clinical decision making

The surgical climate continues to evolve with the advent of more advanced technology and the ability to perform increasingly complex operations through a minimally invasive approach. This paradigm shift can be encountered in the decision process that leads to perform a partial nephrectomy (PN) versus a radical nephrectomy (RN) for patients presenting with a renal mass. There are several variables the urologist considers when counseling such patients, including overall health status, oncologic outcome, possible perioperative complications, and long-term renal function (1,2).