Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) affects fewer than two per 100 000 people and comprises approximately 5% of urothelial tumors. The mainstay of treatment for these patients includes radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) with an ipsilateral bladder cuff [1], [2], [3]. Most of the early literature has focused on the surgical approach with the increasing performance of laparoscopic and robotic surgery as well as predictors of complications. In these manuscripts, venous thromboembolism (VTE) was never factored in as a predictor of complications, but was notable as postoperative complications [1], [3].

VTE consists of pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), both of which have consequences for patients. The relationship between malignancy and VTE has been documented thoroughly, and VTE is the leading cause of noncancer deaths in patients undergoing cancer surgery as well as a significant source of morbidity, mortality, and hospital costs [4], [5], [6], [7], [8]. To date, there have been no publications on VTE as a preoperative predictor of morbidity and hospital costs in patients undergoing RNU. Given this, our aim was to assess the health-related outcomes of VTE in patients with UTUC and VTE undergoing RNU. Our hypothesis is that these patients with known VTE will likely have increased rates of morbidity and hospital costs following intervention with radical cystectomy.