Do Renal Tumor Characteristics Affect the Number of Hemostatic Agents Used During Partial Nephrectomy?

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the use and types of hemostatic agents (HAs) used during partial nephrectomy (PN) and the relationship of the number of these agents used during surgery with tumor size, RENAL nephrometry score (NS), peroperative ischemia time, and postoperative pathology results. Materials and Methods: Records of patients, who had undergone PN in our clinic due to renal mass between January 2013 and February 2019, were retrospectively reviewed. Our study included 71 patients who were administered one or more HAs during PN. Demographic characteristics, operative data, and pathological results of patients, who were administered one or more HAs during PN, were recorded. Results: Cellulose-based agents and polytetrafluoroethylene pledgets were the most frequently used HAs (78.8% and 38%, respectively). The patients were divided into two groups according to tumor size (0-4 cm and larger than 4 cm tumors), RENAL NS (low and intermediate-high score), ischemia time (0-20 min and longer than 20 min), and tumor pathology result (benign and malignant tumor), and the number of HAs used in each group was compared. When the groups were compared separately in terms of number of HAs used, no statistically significant difference was found between the groups (p=0.323, p=0.183, p=0.618, and p=0.131, respectively). Conclusion: HAs are frequently used in our clinic to achieve hemostasis. There was no statistically significant difference in the number of HAs used between the groups.