Surgery To Remove A Kidney: What Is A Nephrectomy Operation?
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” may also be used to describe the same operation. When normal kidney functions are compromised because of disease or damage, kidney removal surgery or a nephrectomy may be become necessary.
The kidneys play several roles, but one major function is to act as the body’s filtration system. The kidneys collect harmful toxins and wastes from the blood so they can pass out of the body in the form of urine.
A nephrectomy is done to treat one of several possible kidney problems. Kidney cancer and kidney failure are two of the most typical reasons for a nephrectomy.
Removing an entire kidney is called a complete or radical nephrectomy procedure. A partial nephrectomy procedure describes the removal of a part, but not the entire kidney. There’s another type of nephrectomy known as a donor nephrectomy procedure. This describes an operation in which someone donates a healthy kidney as part of a kidney transplant operation.
A nephrectomy can currently be done in several ways.
1. Laparoscopic Nephrectomy – This is a minimally invasive operation using several small incisions instead of one large one. A tiny camera is placed inside the body, and the surgeon uses instruments placed in the incisions to remove tissue as needed.
2. Open Nephrectomy – This type of nephrectomy operation involves one 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.
The type of kidney removal surgery that’s right for you depends on how much of the kidney needs to be removed, and the cause of the problem.
So how does the surgeon decide how much kidney tissue to remove?
It depends on several different things. The first thing the surgeon will look at will be how much of the kidney is damaged or affected by disease. 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 kinds of of tests can be used to help answer these important questions, including:
Ultrasound – This test uses sound waves to create a picture of the kidney and the tissues around it.
Computerized Tomography – Specialized X-ray technology is used to produce cross-sectional views of the kidney. Also called CT.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging – An “MRI” uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce a 3D computer image of the kidney.
After the tests have been run and a diagnosis has been made, the surgeon will decide which type of operation is necessary based on the test results.
Recovery time varies. It will depend on your overall health and the type of surgery that was performed.
Sometimes there are long term complications associated with kidney removal surgery. These include high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease. But in the overwhelming majority of cases, nephrectomy patients recover completely and resume happy, normal lives they enjoyed before their kidney problems developed.
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