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Robotic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection: a stepwise technical guide

delete2026-05-15
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PRE
AI
B
Bacaglini, Willy
J
Juan P. Dugarte
F
Federico Eskenazi
B
Bianco, Ignacio A.
C
Calderon, Julio
G
Guevara, Rodrigo
A
Ariê Carneiro
S
Sibanto, Gabriel
S
Sotelo, Rene J. *
M
Medina, Luis G.
DOI:10.1007/s11701-026-03470-xdelete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection remains a critical operation in selected patients with testicular cancer, including defined settings of early metastatic disease, post-chemotherapy residual masses, and emerging indications for primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection in low-volume seminoma. Despite advances in minimally invasive surgery, this operation remains technically demanding because of its proximity to the great vessels, renal hilum, lumbar branches, ureters, and sympathetic neural structures. To present a standardized stepwise technical guide for robotic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, emphasizing reproducible exposure, peritoneal flap suspension, nerve-aware dissection, posterior plane development, controlled vascular and lymphatic management. This technical report describes robotic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection as a sequential operative workflow. Key steps include patient positioning, port placement, mesenteric incision, creation of a broad L-shaped peritoneal flap, bilateral flap suspension, cephalad stay sutures, entry into the retroperitoneal template, early neural identification, split-and-roll dissection, posterior-first interaortocaval development, and selective clip-based control of vascular and lymphatic branches. The patient is positioned supine in Trendelenburg to facilitate bowel displacement. A broad peritoneal flap is developed and suspended to maintain durable exposure. Dissection proceeds using fixed anatomic landmarks, beginning with controlled access to stable avascular planes. Sympathetic fibers are identified early when nerve preservation is oncologically appropriate. Interaortocaval and para-aortic dissection are performed using a posterior-first strategy to improve orientation and permit deliberate management of lumbar vessels. Mechanical clip control is favored for lymphatic channels and higher-risk vascular branches. Robotic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection can be performed as a structured operation centered on exposure, orientation, neural preservation, posterior plane development, and selective vascular control. Standardization may improve technical clarity during this complex retroperitoneal procedure.
Keywords:
Robotic surgery
Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection
Testicular cancer
RPLND
Nerve-sparing surgery
Minimally invasive surgery

Journal

J
Journal of Robotic Surgery
IF:
3
Papers:
730
Citations:
0

Organization

U
university of southern california
Scholars:
4.7W
Papers: 3.8W
Citations: 51
H
Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein
Scholars:
4.5K
Papers: 2.2K
Citations: 2.2K
U
university of bologna
Scholars:
6.1K
Papers: 2.5K
Citations: 0
M
medical university of south carolina
Scholars:
2.4K
Papers: 925
Citations: 0
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Cited Papers

Cited Papers

Surgery in Early Metastatic Seminoma: A Phase II Trial of Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection for Testicular Seminoma With Limited Retroperitoneal Lymphadenopathy
err2023-06-01
err0
PREAI
errSiamak Daneshmand; Clint Cary; Timothy Masterson; Lawrence Einhorn; Nabil Adra; Stephen A. Boorjian; Christian Kollmannsberger; Anne Schuckman; Alan So; Peter Black; Aditya Bagrodia; Eila Skinner; Mehrdad Alemozaffar; Timothy Brand; Scott Eggener; Phillip Pierorazio; Kelly Stratton; Lucia Nappi; Craig Nichols; Chunqiao Luo; Ming Li; Brian Hu
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Morbidity of open retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for testicular cancer: contemporary perioperative data
err2010-03-04
err61
PREAI
errWilliams, Stephen B.; McDermott, David W.; Winston, Dock; Bahnson, Eamonn; Berry, Alexander M.; Steele, Graeme S.; Richie, Jerome P.
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Diagnosis and Treatment of Early-Stage Testicular Cancer: AUA Guideline Amendment 2023
err2024-01-01
err27
PREAI
errStephenson, Andrew; Bass, Eric B.; Bixler, Brooke R.; Daneshmand, Siamak; Kirkby, Erin; Marianes, Alexis; Pierorazio, Phillip M.; Sharma, Ritu; Spiess, Philippe E.
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Laparoscopic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for testicular cancer
err2019-04-05
err0
errOAAI
errJoel H. Hillelsohn; Brian D. Duty; Zhamshid Okhunov; Louis R. Kavoussi
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Major complications of post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection in a contemporary cohort of patients with testicular cancer and a review of the literature
err2020-09-24
err0
errOAAI
errChristian Guido Ruf; Simon Krampe; Cord Matthies; Petra Anheuser; Tim Nestler; Jörg Simon; Hendrik Isbarn; Klaus Peter Dieckmann
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Oncological Outcomes Following Robotic Postchemotherapy Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection for Testicular Cancer: A Worldwide Multicenter Study
err2024-11-16
err0
PREAI
errAlireza Ghoreifi; Farshad Sheybaee Moghaddam; Anirban P. Mitra; Ashish Khanna; Amitabh Singh; Julian Chavarriaga; Sol C. Moon; Ahmed Saeed Goolam; Ryan Chuang; Jordan M. Rich; Fady J. Baky; Matthew Ho; Jacob Roberts; Inderbir S. Gill; James R. Porter; Nariman Ahmadi; Reza Mehrazin; John P. Sfakianos; Soroush Rais-Bahrami; Aditya Bagrodia; Robert J. Hamilton; Scott Eggener; Sudhir Rawal; John F. Ward; Hooman Djaladat
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