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http://www.or-live.com/Tufts-NEMC/1732 Urology: Surgeons at Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston will perform a hand-assisted laparoscopic radical nephrectomy during a live Webcast produced by OR Live on Wednesday, July 25th at 6:30 pm EDT. The surgery will be performed by Gennaro Carpinito, MD, Tufts-NEMC's Urologist-in-Chief and Chairman of the Department of Urology, and moderated by Tufts-NEMC surgeon Michael Tarnoff, MD. The Webcast will feature live Internet transmission of the procedure, as well as interviews with other members of the Medical Center's comprehensive and multidisciplinary urology and nephrology teams. Hand-assisted laparoscopic kidney removal is most often used for treating renal cancer, or to provide kidneys for transplant from an ever-increasing number of living kidney donors. Benefits of the laparoscopic approach include a smaller incision, less pain, a shorter hospital stay and faster recovery time for the patient. Traditionally, surgeons remove diseased or donor kidneys through an 8- to 10-inch incision from the middle of the abdomen to the back. With the hand-assisted laparoscopic approach, the surgeon makes two small abdominal incisions to insert a laparoscopic camera and surgical tools and a third incision, about 3-to-3.5 inches long, for the surgeon's hand to help remove the kidney. "The hand is a wonderful surgical tool," Carpinito says. "In a hand-assisted radical nephrectomy, the surgeon gets sensory information, which helps the procedure go more quickly. The kidney is removed whole, and the recovery time for the patient is about the same as with a purely laparoscopic approach – much faster than for an open surgery." The hand-assisted approach to nephrectomy works best for tumors that are 3- to- 10 centimeters in size. The procedure can be converted to the traditional surgery if a tumor proves too large to remove laparoscopically. "It is extremely important to have a multidisciplinary team with a full range of both surgical and medical expertise," Carpinito said. "At Tufts-NEMC, we are fortunate to have specialists in urology and nephrology who work collaboratively to provide optimal results for patients with conditions ranging from polycystic kidney disease to kidney cancer. It is through this teamwork that we at Tufts-New England Medical Center deliver the best care to patients with kidney diseases or renal cancers, from the straight forward to the most challenging," said Carpinito. Gennaro Carpinito, MD, FACS, is Tufts-New England Medical Center's Urologist-in-Chief and is the Whitney Professor and Chairman of the Department of Urology at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Carpinito is board-certified in Urology. He received his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine and completed his postgraduate training at Boston Medical Center. Dr. Carpinito has pioneered laparoscopic and minimally invasive urologic surgery in Boston. His clinical specialties include minimally invasive urological surgeries, ablative and reconstructive laparoscopic urological surgeries, radical nephrectomy, nephroureterectomy, partial nephrectomy, adrenalectomy, radical prostatectomy, lymphadenectomy, pyeloplasty, nephro- and ureterolithotomy for large and/or difficult-to-treat stones, minimally invasive endoscopic procedures and ESWL (extra corporeal shock wave lithotripsy), renal transplantation and urologic trauma. Dr. Carpinito has authored or co-authored numerous scientific articles and several book chapters. Michael Tarnoff, MD, FACS, is a Tufts-NEMC surgeon and Assistant Professor of Surgery at Tufts University School of Medicine. He is a board-certified in General Surgery. He earned his M.D. from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Dr Tarnoff performed his general surgery residency at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and completed his training at the Cleveland Clinic, where he served as a fellow in Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery. His clinical activity focuses on minimally invasive approaches to morbid obesity, gastroesophageal reflux disease, colectomy, splenectomy, adrenalectomy and other general surgical problems. About Tufts-New England Medical Center and the Floating Hospital for Children. Tufts-New England Medical Center is a world-class academic medical institution that is home to both a full-service hospital for adults and the Floating Hospital for Children. It has long been recognized as a leader in neurosciences, bariatric surgery, cancer care, cardiology, organ transplantation, and pediatrics. Founded in 1796 as the Boston Dispensary to care for sick and needy Bostonians, Tufts-NEMC is the oldest health care facility in New England. The Medical Center is the principal teaching hospital for Tufts University School of Medicine. The Floating Hospital for Children, Tufts-NEMC's full-service children's hospital, began as a hospital ship more than a century ago. The 128-bed Floating Hospital provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services in every area of medical specialization.