Nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) for small renal masses (SRMs) is currently the standard of care to treat renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The concept of partial resection of RCC has mainly been developed to preserve kidney function. Therefore, we have performed this study to explore the research activity that has been undertaken since the early twenty-first century to investigate the advantages of NSS on preserving kidney function and preventing chronic kidney disease (CKD).