Laparoscopic nephrectomy is a minimally invasive procedure to remove a kidney due to cancer, disease, or donation.

What is Laparoscopic Nephrectomy?

A laparoscopic nephrectomy is a surgery that removes one or both kidneys through several very small incisions to the patient.

What are the advantages of this surgery?

• Avoidance of potential bowel complications after surgery
• Reduced hospital stay (one day in younger, healthy patients) and faster healing
• Less postoperative pain and less need for pain medication
• Quicker return to normal activity and work
• Smaller incisions and less scarring

Why Would Someone Need a Laparoscopic Nephrectomy?

Laparoscopic kidney surgery is suitable for patients with benign conditions resulting in end-stage kidney disease (kidney failure) including infection, kidney stones, obstruction, dysplasia and renal vascular hypertension.

Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy is an excellent minimally invasive treatment for the majority of localized renal tumors, up to 12 to 15 centimeters in size.

What Happens Before a Laparoscopic Nephrectomy?

If you take blood thinners such as warfarin, aspirin, or plavix, your surgeon will instruct you to stop taking those 5 to 7 days before surgery. Anti-inflammatory medications and certain vitamin supplements can cause increased bleeding so disclose all of your medications and supplements to your surgeon and anesthesiologist.

It is very important that in preparation for your surgery that you stop smoking. Tobacco hurts the body's natural ability the heal itself which is very important after laparoscopic kidney surgery.

Your surgeon will ask you to not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before your surgery. This is to prevent negative effects of the potential nausea that some patients experience due to anasthesia. Your surgeon may instruct you to take your blood pressure medicine the morning before surgery and you may do so with small sips of water.

What Happens During Laparoscopic Nephrectomy?

Unlike a conventional nephrectomy, laparoscopic kidney surgery requires only several small incisions. Through these incisions, a surgeon uses a powerful endoscope – a tiny camera – and specialized surgical instruments to conduct the surgery and remove the kidney.

How long does laparoscopic nephrectomy take?

Laparoscopic kidney surgery takes approximately 2 to 2½ hours, and the hospital stay is usually just overnight, even for large tumors.

What Happens After a Laparoscopic Nephrectomy?

After your laparoscopic nephrectomy, you will be monitored closely by medical experts and treated for post-procedure pain. As stated before, laparoscopic nephrectomies are far less traumatic than open surgery. However, this does not mean it is pain-free. As you recover, you'll be treated with pain medication and management techniques that are appropriate for you.

You'll be encouraged to walk around shortly after your surgery to encourage healing, blood flow, and to restore normal functioning. Walking after surgery also helps prevent pneumonia and other complications.

Immediately after surgery, you'll be given a liquid diet. As you heal and recover from surgery, you'll be reintroduced to a solid normal diet.

Normal functioning of the body can be maintained by a single healhty kidney. However, it is possible that your doctor will recommend a healthy diet for you to eat when you return home, physical activity, and regular checkups to help preserve kidney function.