FV doctors remove 5cm kidney tumour in time-critical robotic surgery

An Australian man in his 50s, was unexpectedly diagnosed with a kidney tumour during a routine health check-up.

Following a comprehensive evaluation, Dr. Do Quang Minh, MD, MSc, head of the Urology and Andrology at FV Hospital, said the tumour measured more than 5cm in diameter, with approximately half of it embedded deep within the kidney parenchyma.

“In addition, the tumour was in close contact with the renal collecting system, making surgical dissection particularly challenging,” Dr. Minh said.

Dr. Do Quang Minh, head of the Urology and Andrology at FV Hospital, examines a patient. Photo: FV

The complexity of the case was increased by an anatomical variation: the patient had two renal arteries instead of the single renal artery typically found in most individuals. This made controlling blood flow to the kidney during surgery more difficult.

After careful consideration, the surgical team opted for robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery using the da Vinci Xi system – one of the most advanced robotic surgical platforms available in Southeast Asia.

The technology is particularly well suited for complex urological procedures, thanks to its ability to facilitate highly precise movements within confined anatomical spaces.

The urology team performed robot-assisted kidney tumor removal using the da Vinci Xi surgical system. Photo: FV

The surgery lasted approximately four hours. According to the treatment team, the main challenge was not only the tumour’s location, but the strict time constraints involved in preserving kidney function.

During tumour excision, surgeons must temporarily clamp the renal artery to stop blood flow to the kidney. In most cases, warm ischemia time should be kept below 30 minutes to minimise the risk of permanent kidney damage.

“This becomes a race against time because prolonged warm ischemia can result in greater injury to healthy kidney tissue,” Dr. Minh said.

Thanks to close coordination among the surgical team and the support of the da Vinci Xi robotic system, the operation achieved its primary objective: complete tumour removal while keeping renal ischemia time within safe limits and preserving as much healthy kidney tissue as possible.

“I recovered quite quickly, was able to eat and resume normal daily activities soon after surgery, and did not even require pain medication,” the Australian patient said.

Regular screening

According to Dr. Do Quang Minh, kidney cancer is often difficult to detect at an early stage because it frequently causes no obvious symptoms. Most cases are discovered incidentally during routine health examinations.

Dr. Do Quang Minh, head of the Urology and Andrology at FV Hospital. Photo: FV

Abdominal ultrasound is a simple, fast, and cost-effective screening tool that can help detect kidney abnormalities. However, many people do not undergo screening unless symptoms appear.

Doctors recommend maintaining regular health check-ups, particularly abdominal ultrasound examinations, to identify potential diseases at an early stage and improve treatment outcomes.

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