Radical Nephrectomy

Radical Nephrectomy
Radical Nephrectomy

This surgery is the removal of the whole kidney on the basis that the tumour within it is cancerous. It involves the removal the cancerous kidney and its surrounding fat to achieve cure. This can be done though open surgery or laparoscopic / robotic method, the choice depending on the site and size of the tumour. Laparoscopic / robotic method has the advantage of smaller incisions and faster recovery. For small tumours < 4 cm, partial nephrectomy is possible; sparing most part of the kidney and reducing the chance of kidney failure later in life. This is especially beneficial to patients who have co-existent diseases eg. hypertension, diabetes mellitus as they face a real risk of end-stage kidney failure in later years. Partial nephrectomy is a technically more demanding operation with higher complication rates. Hence, surgeon experience is important. Nephrectomy surgery takes up to 3 hours to do. Hospital stay is 5 days on average.

Complications include:

  • bleeding. This may require blood transfusion if the bleed is excessive.
  • urine leak. This applies to partial nephrectomy surgery where the collecting system is opened during removal of the tumour. If not repaired in a water-tight fashion, urine can leak out through the kidney defect.
  • numbness below the wound site. This is due to a cut nerve and is common in open surgery. It may take a few months to recover.
  • bulge below the scar. This occurs with open surgery and is due to muscle weakness. It carries no consequence but may be unsightly.