Nephrectomy refers to a surgical procedure conducted to remove a person’s kidney completely or partially. Kidneys are a part of the human urinary system and perform the function of filtering blood. They are small, bean-shaped organs located in the abdomen and are present in a pair of two, generally. The procedure of kidney removal may be conducted via open surgery or laparoscopic surgery. The latter has a faster recovery time as it involves smaller incisions. Besides the general surgery-related complications like infections, most people are observed to have a good outlook for recovering to their normal body function post-nephrectomy.

In what cases does a person require nephrectomy?

Nephrectomy is a critical procedure and is suggested by doctors only when no other treatment method works for the patient. Some of the cases in which a partial or complete nephrectomy is conducted are:

1. Damaged kidney, kidney malfunction or kidney cancer

Two kidneys are considered healthy for normal functioning, however, an individual can also live a healthy life with only one functioning kidney. Therefore, in case one is damaged, scarred, infected, is not functioning properly, is affected by cancer/tumour, or is causing any kind of health concern or discomfort, it can be removed without affecting the normal body functioning. The doctor may suggest a complete or partial kidney removal as per the patient’s condition and requirement.

2. Kidney donation

As mentioned earlier, a person does not need both the kidneys to survive a healthy life, therefore, a healthy person can donate one of their kidneys to a person who needs a kidney transplant. In this case, as well, nephrectomy is conducted to extract the kidney from the healthy person and carry out the transplant.

What are the common types of nephrectomy?

Kidney removal surgery can be conducted in various ways. This includes simple nephrectomy, partial nephrectomy, and laparoscopic surgery.

Simple nephrectomy involves a long cut and is usually carried out to remove one’s entire kidney. This may be required to remove a completely damaged or cancer-affected kidney and in other such situations. A kidney transplant may also need simple nephrectomy.

Partial nephrectomy, as the name suggests, is carried out to remove only a certain part of the kidney from the patient’s body. While the overall procedure remains mostly the same to that of simple nephrectomy, partial nephrectomy may require smaller incisions.

Laparoscopic surgery can be carried for either complete or partial kidney removal. In this method, a series of smaller incisions are made instead of one long incision. This process of nephrectomy is the least painful with reduced recovery time.

Are there any risks associated with nephrectomy?

Like any major surgical procedure, certain risks are associated with kidney removal surgery as well. These include:

• Blood loss
• Stroke
• Heart attack
• Breathing difficulties
• Pulmonary embolism
• Allergic reaction
• Infection at the surgical incision site Hernia
• Injury to tissues or organs surrounding kidney

However, due to advanced healthcare facilities and improved treatment methods, complications rarely occur now.

The Bottom Line

Though the long-term outlook is usually good in cases where only one kidney is removed, the patient may need to stay in the hospital for a few days post-surgery and may also need follow-up treatments or visits to the doctor. HJ Hospital houses a well-equipped urology and nephrology department and is manned by expert urology surgeons, doctors and other nursing staff to provide the people of central Africa with world-class healthcare facilities. If your doctor has suggested you to undergo a urological surgery like nephrectomy, get a second opinion at HJ Hospitals and choose only the best for your health and wellbeing with us.