Nephrectomy treatment: Laparoscopic kidney removal vs. Open incision surgery

By July 25, 2019

Nephrectomy is considered to be a medical term. It is rather a surgical procedure recommended by the qualified doctors to remove part of the kidney or the whole of it. At times, it is termed as nephrectomy surgery. Nephrectomy Cost in India is feasible for people of all categories. 

When is the procedure recommended?

The kidneys are said to undertake crucial jobs like collecting and removal of wastes and toxins from the blood. It is a filtering process which is important to produce urine. But normal kidney functions can get compromised due to the occurrence of damage or disease in the region. In such a case, the doctor may recommend the patient to have nephrectomy or kidney removal surgery. 

Common indications for nephrectomy

Some common indications for this ailment include severe trauma to kidney, kidney cancer, benign disease like symptomatic hydronephrosis, polycystic kidney disease, chronic infection, renal calculus or shrunken kidney hypertension. However, renal cell cancer is stated to be the most common kidney cancer type.

What complications might arise due to nephrectomy?

The common complications noticed are bleeding, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, pulmonary, infectious and cardiac. Severe complications might cause congestive heart failure and require reoperations to be conducted. 

Types

It is conducted due any of the possible kidney problems. This form is often used due to kidney cancer, kidney failure or abnormal tissue growth. 

Radical or complete nephrectomy means removal of entire kidney portion. Partial nephrectomy is when only the damaged or the diseased part is removed. Donor nephrectomy is when healthy kidney is donated by someone to the patient. 

Kidney removal surgery types

It is conducted in two common ways, which are:

  • Open Nephrectomy: The procedure requires the surgeon to remove the kidney by creating a large incision on the patient’s side. It is considered to be a traditional method to remove the kidney. This method is found to be more invasive, the reason why it requires a longer recovery period.
  • Laparoscopic Nephrectomy: Several small incisions are created by the surgeon. Then a tube having a camera is attached to its one end, while instruments to perform the surgical remedy is placed to the other. The camera helps the surgeon to guide his/her movements to use properly the instrument, so as to remove efficiently, smoothly and carefully part or the entire kidney region. 

What type of nephrectomy is to be recommended to the patient will entirely depend upon the kidney tissue amount which needs to be removed and the reason for suggesting the surgical procedure. 

Recovery time period for nephrectomy

The patient probably has to be in hospital for around 1-7 days, which again depends upon the surgical procedure followed. Light activities can be resumed once the patient feels better. But heavy lifting of objects and all types of strenuous activities are better avoided following the procedure for about 6 weeks. 

What actually determines the amount of kidney to be removed?

The very first consideration to be made is the kind and amount of damage that the kidney is said to have sustained or the disease has spread. The doctor needs to ascertain if the problem affected is just a single kidney or area. Also will be essential to know if the other kidney or nearby tissue is affected. 

Types of tests recommended

To determine the severity and condition of kidney damage, there are recommended various types of tests like:

  • Computerized Tomography: It is commonly termed as CT scan and uses special x-ray technology, so as to come up with slices of thin, cross sectional form of the kidney tissue. 
  • Ultrasound: Popularly termed as USG, makes use of sound waves to take image of soft tissues which surrounds the kidney region. 
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Termed commonly as the MRI, it makes use of radio waves and magnetic field to come up with 3D image of kidney region. 

The doctor will have a good look at the data provided by these tests and accordingly recommend the type of remedy and surgery that will be found to be more suitable to the case. Anaesthesia will be given and a catheter inserted to drain the bladder. 

Low Nephrectomy Cost in India is what has made it possible for patients to avail it and enjoy getting better treatment at the best hospitals.