Nephrectomy
involves removing a kidney or part of a kidney.
Also Known As:
- Kidney removal
- Partial kidney removal
Conditions Treated with Nephrectomy:
Nephrectomy may be
performed in cases of kidney disease, kidney cancer or a kidney tumor. It can
also be performed for transplantation in a kidney transplant recipient.
Dialysis is a
non-surgical alternative to nephrectomy in cases of acute or end stage kidney
disease. Surgical alternatives to the procedure include partial nephrectomy for
tumors and hand-assisted nephrectomy.
Anesthesia with Nephrectomy:
Nephrectomy is
performed under general anesthesia, which means that the patient is asleep and
completely unaware during the procedure.
Potential Complications from Nephrectomy:
Possible risks
following nephrectomy include infection, bleeding, incisional hernia, injury to
other organs and a negative reaction to the anesthesia.
Recovery from Nephrectomy:
Total recovery from
nephrectomy takes four to six weeks.