Robotic Radical Nephrectomy Surgery

Robotic radical nephrectomy surgery is a surgical procedure involving the removal of the whole of the kidney containing kidney cancer.

Performing radical nephrectomy on a kidney with kidney cancer means the removal of the whole of the kidney, including the healthy parts of the cancerous kidney.

Radical Nephrectomy Surgery

Radical nephrectomy is the name given to the surgical intervention carried out with the complete removal of the kidney. The surgeon can also remove the adrenal gland and the neighbouring lymph nodes. This option is generally preferred in situations where partial nephrectomy is not suitable or in situations where it is not recommended.

Radical nephrectomy is generally performed for large tumours or advanced-degree tumours. The great majority of kidney removal procedures with radical nephrectomy are performed with a minimally invasive method (laparoscopically or robotically). The kidney is separated from the body using a few small incisions. It is then placed into a sealed bag and removed from the body. 

How Is Radical Nephrectomy Performed?

Radical nephrectomy can be carried out with open surgery or laparoscopic surgery. In an open operation there is one incision. Laparoscopic operations are performed with a few small incisions. The surgeon uses an instrument called a laparoscope with a small camera at its tip to perform the operation. 

When the surgeon is ready to remove the kidney, they enlarge one of the incisions. Laparoscopic procedures, also called minimally invasive surgery, are more common than open procedures. However, for larger tumours, for more complex cases or when it is important that all the lymph nodes be cleared, open surgery is generally the best approach.

Both laparoscopic and open nephrectomy are performed under general anaesthesia, which means that you will be asleep during the operation.

Before Radical Nephrectomy

In the days before the operation, blood samples are taken in order to find out your blood group in case a blood transfusion is required. Your doctor may ask you to stop taking certain medicines such as blood thinners. 

You will be asked not to eat or drink anything after midnight the night before the operation. Your doctor will give you instructions about the medicines you need to take on the day of your operation. 

In addition, a faster recovery is seen in patients who do not use tobacco products.

After Radical Nephrectomy

When you come out of the operation, your health team will closely monitor your blood pressure and your other body functions. You may be treated with painkilling medicines. A short time after the operation you will be asked to get out of bed and walk. This promotes recovery and normal physical functions and also reduces the likelihood of some complications. For a short time the use of a catheter (a thin, flexible tube) that will drain your urine from your bladder may be necessary.

When you are discharged, you will need to be on a liquid diet for a few days. Full recovery, including the ability to undertake and take part in strenuous activities, can take as long as six weeks.

The Advantages of Robotic Radical Nephrectomy

Radical nephrectomy surgery performed with the support of robotic surgery has considerably more advantages compared with open surgery.

In radical nephrectomy, that is the operation of removing the whole of the kidney, there is no risk of injury and infection in the patient's intestines.

The recovery process after the operation is rapid and the length of hospital stay is short. The return to daily life is rapid.

The patient's pain after the operation is at a very low level. For this reason there is no obligation to take painkillers.

Because incisions are made in the form of small holes during the operation, there is no cosmetic disfigurement on the patient's body.

Thanks to the high-resolution camera possessed by the robotic surgery robot, the operative area is reflected onto the screen clearly and magnified.

The robot arms with their high manoeuvring capability provide the doctor with a level of movement capability that the human hand cannot achieve.