The primary aim of surgical treatment for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is to remove the kidney tumor with negative surgical margins using either partial or radical nephrectomy, depending on the location and size of the tumor. This can be done in various ways, including open surgery and minimally invasive (robotic) surgery. The maintenance of renal function is the second aim. When possible, a partial nephrectomy should be conducted to avoid end-stage renal disease and preserve kidney function.
The COVID-19 outbreak resulted in delayed surgeries among RCC patients as the risk of transmission of the infection during surgeries is a grave concern. The recommendations for reducing the risks to healthcare staff and patients are outlined in Figure 1. Figure 1. Clinical guidelines for reducing COVID-19 transmission during kidney surgery (Mihalopoulos et al., 2020) Immunosuppression in kidney…
