Current strategies to diagnose and manage positive surgical margins and local recurrence after partial nephrectomy

Controversy still exists surrounding the best strategy for management and diagnosis of patients with PSMs or local recurrence after PN. Active surveillance is likely to be the optimal first-line management option for most patients with PSMs. Ablation and salvage surgery both represent valid options in patients with local recurrence after PN. Conversely, salvage PN and radical nephrectomy have fewer recurrences but are associated with a higher complication rate compared to TA. In this scenario, robotic surgery plays an important role in improving salvage PN and radical nephrectomy outcomes.