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Nephrectomy
Nephrectomy (nephro = kidney, ectomy = removal) is the surgical removal of a kidney. The procedure is done to treat kidney cancer as well as other kidney diseases and injuries. Nephrectomy is also done to remove a healthy kidney from a donor (either living or deceased) for transplantation.
The most common reason for a nephrectomy is to remove a tumor from the kidney. These tumors are often cancer, but sometimes they’re not. In other cases, nephrectomy can help treat a diseased or damaged kidney. It’s also used to remove a healthy kidney from an organ donor for transplant into a person who needs a working kidney.
Most people have two kidneys — fist-sized organs located near the back of the upper stomach area, also called abdomen. The kidneys:
- Filter wastes and extra fluid from the blood.
- Make urine.
- Maintain proper levels of minerals in the bloodstream.
- Make hormones that help control blood pressure, create red blood cells and keep bones strong.
Nephrectomy is often a safe procedure. But as with any surgery, it comes with risks such as:
- Bleeding.
- Infection.
- Injury to nearby organs.
- Pneumonia after surgery.
- Reactions to medicine that prevents pain during surgery, called anesthesia.
- Pneumonia after surgery.
- Rarely, other serious problems, such as kidney failure.