An Enhanced Recovery after Surgery Protocol in Children Who Undergo Nephrectomy for Wilms Tumor Safely Shortens Hospital Stay

Wilms tumor is the most common malignant solid tumor that arises from the kidneys in children with approximately 500-600 new cases diagnosed yearly in the US. [1, 2] Standard treatment includes chemotherapy and sometimes radiation therapy, but the cornerstone of treatment for unilateral tumors remains total nephrectomy and staging laparotomy with retroperitoneal lymph node sampling. While total nephrectomy is considered a major abdominal operation, it is often well tolerated within the pediatric Wilms tumor population and average length of stay continues to decrease, allowing for prompt oncologic follow-up and chemotherapy as recommended by the Children's Oncology Group (COG) [3, 4].