Radical Nephrectomy

Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy is a minimally invasive technique indicated for the treatment of kidney cancer. The procedure involves the removal of the entire kidney along with the surrounding fatty tissue, adrenal gland (hormone releasing glands that sit on top of the kidney) and lymph nodes.

Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy is performed under general anesthesia. Your surgeon makes 3 to 4 small incisions on the abdomen. A laparoscope (narrow tube with a light and a camera) is inserted into one of the incisions to view the diseased kidney. The camera is connected to a high definition monitor to guide your surgeon throughout the procedure. The surgical instruments are inserted through the incisions to access the kidney. The tumour-affected kidney, neighbouring fat, adrenal gland and lymph nodes are freed from surrounding tissue, placed in a plastic sack and excised. The incisions are sutured firmly. The complete laparoscopic surgical procedure takes about 2 to 3 hours.

As all surgical procedures, laparoscopic radical nephrectomy may be associated with certain complications, which include:

• Bleeding
• Infection
• Injury to the surrounding tissues and organs
• Chest infection
• Blood clot in the leg or lungs
• Stroke or heart attack

The advantages of laparoscopic radical nephrectomy when compared to open radical nephrectomy include:

• Smaller incisions and less scarring
• Less post-operative pain
• Faster recovery
• Reduced hospital stay