Partial Nephrectomy

Partial nephrectomy surgery is performed under general anesthesia. Partial Nephrectomy can be performed in different kind of techniques: 

• Robotic Nephrectomy – Latest method of partial Nephrectomy is robotic Nephrectomy. In this method, specialized robots are used to perform the operation. Surgeons do not operate manually in this kind of a procedure. Robotic Nephrectomy is believed to be the most sterile option, and it has excellent accuracy. This is very important for a partial kidney removal surgery in order to not damage the surrounding tissue and the left of the kidney. 

• Laparoscopic Nephrectomy – in this method, surgeons make several small cuts rather than a single big one in order to perform the operation. Through these cuts, a medical tool which involves light and camera, a laparoscope, is inserted. Laparoscopic surgery has a shorter recovery period and less risk for infection in comparison to open Nephrectomy.

• Open Nephrectomy – open Nephrectomy is a typical method for performing partial Nephrectomy. Surgeons make a big incision to perform the operation. 

In all of these procedures of partial Nephrectomy, patient's kidney is removed partially sometimes involving the tissue around it.

Recovery time of open Nephrectomy is thought to be around 2 weeks while for laparoscopic Nephrectomy and robotic Nephrectomy it is 2 to 3 weeks. After the partial Nephrectomy, it is important to have a fluid-rich diet and to be physically active such as walking as well as visiting the doctor for your appointments. 

This content is written and reviewed by our medical content team in August, 2019.