Critical Care Therapy After Cytoreductive Nephrectomy for Metastatic Kidney Cancer

OBJECTIVES: To examine critical care therapy rates after cytoreductive nephrectomy in metastatic kidney cancer patients. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: Relying on the National Inpatient Sample (2000–2019), we addressed critical care therapy use (total parenteral nutrition, invasive mechanical ventilation, renal replacement therapy, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube insertion, and tracheostomy) and in-hospital mortality in surgically treated metastatic kidney cancer patients. Estimated annual percentage changes and multivariable logistic regression models were fitted. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 10,915 patients, 802 (7.3%) received critical care therapy and 249 (2.4%) died in-hospital. Over time, critical care therapy rates did not differ significantly (6.6% in 2000 to 5.7% in 2019; p = 0.07), while in-hospital mortality decreased from 2.3% to 1.9% ( p = 0.004). Age 71 years old or older (odds ratio [OR], 1.43; p < 0.001) and higher comorbidity burden (Charlson Comorbidity Index [CCI] ≥ 3: OR, 2.92; p < 0.001 and CCI 1–2: OR, 1.45; p < 0.001) independently predicted higher critical care therapy rates. Conversely, partial nephrectomy (OR, 0.51; p = 0.003) and minimally invasive surgery (OR, 0.33; p < 0.001) predicted lower critical care therapy rates. Virtually the same associations were recorded for in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: After cytoreductive nephrectomy, critical care therapy rate was 7.3% vs. in-hospital mortality was 2.4%. Of patients at highest risk of critical care therapy need were those with CCI greater than or equal to 3 and those 71 years old or older. Ideally, these patients should represent targets for thorough assessment of risk factors for complications before cytoreductive nephrectomy.