Overcoming Stage 1 Kidney Cancer with Single-Port Robotic Partial Nephrectomy

Although the nature of the conditions is different, having undergone knee and spine surgeries in succession, I was shocked and burdened just by the fact that I would need treatment again. Recalling that time, Ms. Jeong Nam-soon said: “I was diagnosed with early-stage kidney cancer, which is often discovered incidentally during health checkups or follow-up examinations for other diseases. After successfully undergoing a single-port robotic partial nephrectomy at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, I have recovered my daily life,” Health Chosun Amirang reported.

Right kidney cancer tumor discovered during follow-up examination after spinal surgery

Last year, 67-year-old Jeong Nam-sun was diagnosed with a lesion suspected to be a liver cyst while undergoing artificial spinal joint surgery. Early this year, while undergoing a CT scan at a hospital near her home for follow-up, a 1.4cm tumor was incidentally discovered in her right kidney. Despite her attending physician’s explanation that it was in the early stages and would be fine, Jeong felt great anxiety and burden after receiving a cancer diagnosis following a series of orthopedic surgeries, Health Chosun reported.

To alleviate Ms. Jeong’s anxiety, her daughter sought out medical professionals renowned for kidney cancer treatment, and she immediately visited Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, marking the beginning of full-scale treatment. Professor Hong Seong-hoo of the Department of Urology at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital stated that although Ms. Jeong’s tumor was located in the middle of the kidney, its small size and partial protrusion outside the kidney allowed for a partial nephrectomy to be performed without removing the entire kidney.

Discharged after 4 days with single-port robotic surgery preserving normal kidney

Mr. Jeong underwent a single-port robotic partial nephrectomy last August. This surgical method is a highly complex technique that inserts a robotic camera and instruments through a single incision instead of multiple ports to completely remove the tumor while preventing complications such as bleeding or urine leakage and preserving normal kidney tissue as much as possible. Professor Hong Seong-hoo explained to Health Chosun that the instruments could move freely even in a confined space, enabling precise surgery, and that the scar was small and recovery was rapid.

The warm ischemic time—the time during which blood flow to the kidney is blocked while removing the tumor, which is a critical factor in partial nephrectomy—was also thoroughly shortened through pre-operative CT analysis and a continuous suturing technique using clips. Mr. Jeong, who experienced no postoperative complications, was discharged four days after the operation, and the final biopsy confirmed that he had stage 1 clear cell carcinoma, the most common form. Currently, he is maintaining his health without additional chemotherapy or radiation therapy, undergoing CT scans and blood tests every six months.

The Importance of Early Detection and the Latest Treatments for Kidney Cancer Explained by Professor Hong Seong-hu of Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital

Dr. Hong Seong-hoo, Director of the Robotic Surgery Center at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital and Dr. Jeong’s attending physician, has performed 1,000 single-port surgeries out of approximately 3,000 total robotic surgeries to date. However, he emphasized that not all patients are operated on using a single port, and the most suitable method is selected by comprehensively considering the patient’s tumor location, size, and difficulty level. Recently, research on precise surgical planning is also actively underway, which combines artificial intelligence (AI) and 3D imaging technology to reconstruct the locations of the kidneys, blood vessels, and tumors in three dimensions before surgery.

Kidney cancer has almost no early symptoms, so 60 to 70% of cases are discovered incidentally during health checkups or examinations for other diseases. Typical symptoms, such as hematuria, flank pain, and a palpable mass, appear only after the cancer has progressed to some extent.

Professor Hong Seong-hu

Professor Hong emphasized that regular health checkups are essential for early detection if risk factors such as smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, or a family history of kidney cancer exist. Health Chosun reported that since early detection leads to excellent treatment outcomes and significantly increases the number of patients who can preserve their healthy kidneys, it is important to find a treatment method appropriate for the stage of the disease with a specialist rather than harboring excessive fear.