Nephrectomy Kidney Removal Surgery

What Is A Nephrectomy and Who Should Have One?

A nephrectomy or kidney removal surgery is a procedure to remove all or part of a kidney.

When a surgeon removes the entire kidney, the procedure is called a complete or radical nephrectomy. With a partial nephrectomy, the surgeon removes diseased tissue from a kidney and leaves healthy tissue in place.

A nephrectomy is most often performed to treat kidney cancer or to remove a seriously damaged or diseased kidney. The procedure may be performed through a single large incision in the abdomen or side (open nephrectomy) or through a series of small incisions in the abdomen (laparoscopic nephrectomy).

A donor nephrectomy is the removal of a healthy kidney to be transplanted into a person who needs a functioning kidney (see below).

Nephrectomy is most often performed to remove a cancerous tumor, or abnormal tissue growth, in a kidney. The most common kidney cancer in adults is called renal cell carcinoma, which begins in the cells that line the small tubes within your kidneys. Children are more likely to develop a kind of kidney cancer called Wilms' tumor, which is probably caused by the poor development of kidney cells.

The decision about how much kidney tissue to remove in a renal carcinoma nephrectomy depends on:

• Whether a tumor is confined to the kidney
• Whether there is more than one tumor
• How much of the kidney is affected
• Whether the cancer affects nearby tissue
• How well the other kidney functions

The surgeon makes a decision based on the results of imaging tests, which may include:

• Ultrasound, an image of soft tissues produced with the use of sound waves
• Computerized tomography (CT), a specialized X-ray technology that produces images of thin cross-sectional views of soft tissues
• Magnetic resonance imaging, which uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce cross-sectional views or 3-D images

You will receive general anesthesia before surgery and will be unconscious during the entire procedure. You'll likely have a urinary catheter, a tube used to drain urine from your bladder.

During the procedure - Specific features of a nephrectomy vary depending on how the surgery is performed and how much of the kidney is removed.

After the procedure - Recovery time and the length of your hospital stay will vary depending on your overall health and the type of nephrectomy performed. Laparoscopic surgery generally results in a shorter recovery time than open surgery.

The long-term complications of a nephrectomy are related to potential problems of living with less than two complete, fully functioning kidneys. Although overall kidney function is less following a nephrectomy, the remaining kidney tissue usually works well enough for a healthy life.

Problems that may occur with long-term decreased kidney function include:

• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Chronic kidney disease

What is a donor nephrectomy?

A healthy person with good kidney function and a low risk of certain disorders, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, is a good candidate for donating a kidney to someone who needs a transplant.

A transplant recipient who receives a kidney from a living donor has a better chance of survival than a person who receives a kidney from a deceased donor. 

Learn more about the dangers of kidney disease by clicking on the book cover below or

The Kidney Disease Solution