Techniques in endourology - Retroperitoneoscopic approach to nephrectomy

Laparoscopic management of a variety of renal diseases has assumed an incre asingly important role as an alternative to open surgery. At many instituti ons, the transperitoneal approach has been the more commonly employed techn ique because it creates a larger working space and reveals easily recognize d landmarks, At the Cleveland Clinic, however, laparoscopic simple nephrect omy for benign disease and laparoscopic radical nephrectomy for cancer are preferentially approached retroperitoneoscopically. Herein, we present our technique of retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy.