Perioperative outcomes following robot-assisted partial nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma according to surgeon generation

Objective The experience of performing robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) is associated with better surgical outcomes. However, surgeon’s generation may impact surgical outcomes. We evaluated the perioperative outcomes of RAPN between first- and second-generation surgeons according to the surgeon’s experience. Methods This study included 529 patients who underwent RAPN for renal cell carcinoma from January 2013 to November 2018. Four specific surgeons performed the surgery. According to the surgeon’s generation, the patients were divided into two groups: first-generation and second-generation. To reflect the learning curve of RAPN, the surgical outcomes of each case (1–50, 51–100, 101–150) were evaluated between these groups. Results Between 1 to 50 cases and 101–150 cases, no significant differences in patient characteristics were observed between the two generations. Between 51–100 cases, age at surgery was significantly younger in the first-generation than in the second-generation group (58 years vs. 64 years, p = 0.04). The second-generation group had a shorter operation time in cases 1–50 (169 min vs. 188 min, p = 0.0001), 51–100 (145 min vs. 169 min, p = 0.008), and 101–150 (142 min vs. 165 min, p = 0.009), than the first-generation group. Although shorter WIT and higher trifecta achievement were observed in the second-generation group than in the first-generation group between 1–50 cases, the difference was not noted between 51–100 cases and 101–150 cases. Conclusion Patients operated by second-generation surgeons had better surgical outcomes than first-generation surgeons, especially during the early experience period, which might result from their assistance experience, sophisticated surgical procedures refined by the first-generation, and the first-generation surgeon’s introduction.