In 2015, two doctors from the Angers University Hospital developed a revolutionary technique to treat kidney cancer. Today, a hundred patients have been successfully operated on.
A revolutionary technique in the treatment of kidney cancer. During an information meeting on the subject at the University Hospital of Angers, patients treated by Dr Antoine Bouvier and Pr Pierre Bigot of this hospital testified to their experience, announces The Western Mail. Since 2015, the interventional radiologist and the urologist have been working together to cure patients with kidney tumors and so far the results have been spectacular. Three years ago, their ablation technique, which reduces blood loss, post-operative pain and length of hospital stay, was presented to the press as a world first.
A breakthrough therapeutic solution on a global scale
When a patient suffers from kidney cancer, at least part of this organ must be removed. This operation is long, three to four hours, and often leads to hemorrhagic complications. Indeed, to limit the flow of blood while removing part of the kidney, the surgeon slaps the artery connected to the kidney by pinching the blood vessel that supplies the organ. However, this interruption sometimes leads to permanent abnormalities in renal function. Once the tumor has been removed, the specialist sutures the small vessels during open surgery. To overcome this problem, Dr. Antoine Bouvier and Pr. Pierre Bigot have developed a revolutionary therapeutic solution on a global scale.
Before removing the tumor, the interventional radiologist catheterizes the renal artery and then embolizes the blood vessels that supply the tumor from the inside, respecting the others. The rest of the kidney therefore continues to be vascularized and thus the surgeon can harvest the organ optimally, while controlling the risk of bleeding. “This technique was made possible thanks to the hybrid room of the CHU d’Angers and its very high quality of imaging”. welcomes the hospital on its website.
“The duration of hospitalization is approaching that of robotics”
Indeed, it is 3D radiological images that allow Dr. Antoine Bouvier to perform arterial mapping of the kidney and optimal location of the tumor. Thus, blood loss is reduced and post-operative pain much lighter. In addition, the duration of intervention has been reduced from three to four hours to just one hour.
So far, a hundred patients have already benefited from this innovative technique and have been able to leave after three or four days after being operated on without any hemorrhagic complications, assures the CHU of Angers. “The length of hospitalization is approaching that of robotics with 3.8 days on average”, explained Drs Bouvier and Bigot during a conference on the subject last year. “We believe that this new approach to partial surgery could become standard and brings an improvement in safety for patients while maintaining good ontological results”, they concluded.
In France, 12,000 kidney tumors are diagnosed every year. The disease represents 3% of all cancers and affects twice as many men as women. More than half of cases are diagnosed by chance on abdominal imaging. At that time, the patient is on average 65 years old. Kidney cancer is associated with smoking, overweight and obesity, or long-term dialysis treatment.
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