Introduction
Partial nephrectomy has become a wellrecognized and indicated procedure under certain circumstances. The use of this procedure, however, is not without its occasional complications of infection, hemorrhage, or urinary fistula. With these complications in mind, we felt that an experimental study should be carried out to evaluate formalinized polyvinyl alcohol (Ivalon) as an adjunct to this type of excisional therapy. HistoryIt is of interest in relation to this experimental study to review the evolution and development of heminephrectomy, for the fundamental idea is certainly not new.The first recorded total nephrectomy was performed by Simons4 in 1869. Czerny,1 in 1887, performed one of the first partial nephrectomies. This latter procedure, however, fell into disrepute during the early 1900's, presumably owing to the high mortality and morbidity rates associated with it. Over the past 35 years there has been renewed interest in this procedure, due to efforts