Simple Nephrectomy
In a simple nephrectomy, the surgeon will remove only the kidney. This type of
kidney cancer surgery may be used when people have stage I kidney cancer.
Radical Nephrectomy
Kidney cancer is usually treated with radical nephrectomy in which the surgeon will remove the entire kidney along with the adrenal gland and some tissue around the kidney. In this type of kidney cancer surgery, the lymph nodes may also be removed.
Kidney Cancer Surgery and Adjuvant Therapy
Even if the doctor removes all the cancer that can be seen at the time of the kidney cancer surgery, chemotherapy may be given after surgery to kill any cancer cells that are left.
Kidney cancer treatment given after surgery, to increase the chances of a kidney cancer cure, is called adjuvant therapy.
Kidney Cancer Surgery Recovery
It takes time to heal after kidney cancer surgery, and recovery is different for each person. After surgery, patients may feel uncomfortable, tired, and weak. However, medicine can usually control the pain, and patients should discuss the plan for pain relief with the doctor or nurse before kidney cancer surgery. After surgery, the doctor can adjust the plan if more pain relief is needed. The healthcare team will need to watch the patient for signs of kidney problems by:
- Monitoring the amount of fluid that the patient takes in and the amount of urine produced
- Looking for signs of bleeding, infection, or other problems requiring immediate treatment
- Ordering lab tests.
A person can live with part of one working kidney, but if both kidneys are removed during kidney surgery or are not working properly, the person will need dialysis (a procedure to clean the blood using a machine outside of the body) or a kidney transplant (replacement with a healthy donated kidney). A kidney transplant may be done when the disease is only in the kidney and a donated kidney can be found. If the patient has to wait for a donated kidney, other treatment is given as needed.
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