International Expertise, One Kidney Saved

An elderly patient from Southeast Asia travelled to Beijing United Family Hospital after being diagnosed with a kidney tumor in his only functioning kidney. Having undergone removal of his left kidney ten years earlier, he faced an especially complex situation in which treatment needed to completely remove the tumor while preserving as much healthy kidney tissue as possible.

The patient was referred to Beijing United Family Hospital after a urologist in his home country learned of Professor Zhu Gang’s expertise in complex urologic oncology through an international academic meeting. Before the patient arrived in Beijing, the International Medical Services team coordinated multiple remote discussions involving the patient, his family, overseas physicians and specialists at the hospital to develop an individualized treatment plan.

A multidisciplinary team including specialists from Urology, Anesthesiology, Intensive Care, Cardiology, Respiratory Medicine, Nephrology, Geriatric Medicine and Pharmacy worked together throughout the patient’s care. Using holographic imaging for surgical planning and the da Vinci robotic surgical system, the team performed a robot assisted partial nephrectomy. A super selective renal artery clamping technique limited ischemia to approximately one quarter of the kidney, with a warm ischemia time of 17 minutes, allowing the tumor to be completely removed while preserving as much normal kidney tissue as possible.

The patient recovered smoothly after surgery, with postoperative kidney function remaining comparable to preoperative levels and all major clinical indicators returning to normal. During follow up, he presented the medical team with a handwritten message of appreciation created by a renowned Chinese calligrapher, expressing his gratitude for the care he received in Beijing.