subject: Nephrectomy Surgery: The Basics of Kidney Removal Surgery [print this page] Nephrectomy Surgery: The Basics of Kidney Removal Surgery
When medical professionals use the term "nephrectomy," they're referring to an operation in which part or all of a kidney is removed. The term "nephrectomy surgery" is often used to describe the same procedure.
The role of the kidney is to filter waste and toxins from the blood so they can be passed out of the body as urine.
Nephrectomy surgery is the procedure used to remove a kidney or part of a kidney, when it has become diseased or damaged beyond repair.
A nephrectomy is done because of one of several possible kidney problems.
It is often appropriate when the patient has kidney failure or kidney cancer.
Kidney removal surgery that includes only part of the organ is called partial nephrectomy. Removing the entire kidney is called a complete or radical nephrectomy.
Sometimes, a person who needs a kidney transplant will receive a healthy kidney from another person. A "donor nephrectomy" is the term used to describe the procedure in which the healthy kidney is removed from the donor.
There are two ways the surgery can be performed and they are listed below:
1. Laparoscopic Nephrectomy - The surgeons makes several small incisions. A tube with a camera attached is placed in one of them. Instruments for performing the surgery are placed in the others. The surgeon uses the camera to guide his or her movements in using the instruments to remove all or part of the kidney.
2. Open Nephrectomy - This type of nephrectomy procedure involves a large open incision rather than several small ones. The surgeon removes as much tissue as necessary through the large incision. This is the "traditional" method of kidney removal, and requires a longer recovery period.
Kidney removal surgery using the open nephrectomy procedure is much more invasive and requires a longer period of recovery.
The type of nephrectomy that's appropriate depends on how much of the kidney needs to be removed, and the cause of the problem.
You're probably wondering what determines how much of the kidney needs to be removed.
There are a number of considerations. It's important to know how much the kidney's function has been affected by disease. The doctor must also determine the amount of damage the kidney has suffered, and how the damage has affected kidney function.
Is the damage confined to the kidney or has it spread to the tissue surrounding the kidney? Are there one or several tumors in the kidney? It will also depend on whether or not the other kidney is healthy or if both kidneys are damaged.
Several types of tests can be used to help answer these important questions, including:
Ultrasound - Ultrasound technology uses sound waves to create a computer picture of soft tissue.
Computerized Tomography - This technology uses special X-rays to produce computer-enhanced pictures of thin, cross-section "slices" of tissues in the kidneys. It is also refereed to as CT or CT scanning.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging - An "MRI" uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce a 3D computer image of the kidney.
After examining the data gathered from these tests, your surgeon will evaluate it and come up with a recommendation for the best type of nephrectomy for you.
When it comes time for your nephrectomy procedure, you'll be given an anesthesia and normally a catheter will be inserted to help drain the bladder.
Your recovery time will depend on which type of surgery you have and your overall health.
When you've had a nephrectomy, you may have certain post-surgical complications. These could include chronic kidney disease and high blood pressure or hypertension.
Still, in most cases, the patient can live a happy, healthy life with the remaining kidney tissue even though the overall function will be less than normal.
