Nephrectomy

Causes of nephrectomy

There are a few different reasons someone might need a nephrectomy:

• Kidney cancer is the most common reason
• A badly damaged or infected kidney that can’t be fixed
• Kidney donation for transplant
• Severe kidney injury from an accident

Risk factors for nephrectomy

Needing a nephrectomy isn’t something most people expect, but some things make it more likely:

• Having kidney cancer or other kidney diseases
• Long-term infections or repeated kidney problems
• Serious injury to the kidney (like in a car accident)
• A family history of kidney disease or cancer

Symptoms that may lead to nephrectomy

You might not always feel symptoms, but some signs can point to a kidney problem:

• Blood in your urine
• Pain in your side or lower back
• A lump or swelling in your side
• High blood pressure that’s hard to control
• Fatigue or feeling sick often

Diagnosing the need for nephrectomy

Doctors will run tests to see what’s going on with your kidneys. These may include:

• Blood and urine tests to check how your kidneys are working
• Imaging like ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI to look for tumors, damage, or infections
• Sometimes a biopsy (taking a tiny piece of kidney tissue) to check for cancer or disease

Treatment of nephrectomy

There are different types of nephrectomy depending on the situation:

• Partial nephrectomy – only the damaged part of the kidney is removed
• Simple nephrectomy – one whole kidney is taken out
• Radical nephrectomy – the entire kidney and nearby tissue (like lymph nodes) are removed, often for cancer

This surgery can be done through a big cut (open surgery) or through small cuts using special tools (laparoscopic or robotic surgery)

• After surgery, most people stay in the hospital for a few days and then recover at home over a few weeks
• If one kidney is removed and the other is healthy, it can usually do all the work on its own