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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Nephrectomy (nuh-FREK-tuh-me) is a surgical procedure to remove all or part of a kidney:
- Complete nephrectomy. During a complete (radical) nephrectomy, the surgeon removes the entire kidney.
- Partial nephrectomy. In a partial nephrectomy, the surgeon removes diseased tissue from a kidney and leaves healthy tissue in place.
A nephrectomy is most often done to treat kidney cancer or to remove a seriously damaged or diseased kidney. The surgeon may perform the procedure through a single large incision in the abdomen or side (open nephrectomy) or through a series of small incisions in the abdomen (laparoscopic nephrectomy).
In a donor nephrectomy, the surgeon removes a healthy kidney for transplant into a person who needs a functioning kidney.
References
- Kidney cancer. American Urological Association Foundation. http://www.urologyhealth.org/urology/index.cfm?article=24. Accessed April 5, 2012.
- Nephrectomy. National Kidney Foundation. http://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/nephrectomy.cfm. Accessed April 9, 2012.
- Ramos E, et al. Evaluation of the living kidney donor and risk of donor nephrectomy. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed April 10, 2012.
- Wilms' tumor. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/pediatrics/pediatric_cancers/wilms_tumor.html. Accessed April 9, 2012.
- Renal cell carcinoma. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/genitourinary_disorders/genitourinary_cancer/renal_cell_carcinoma.html. Accessed April 9, 2012.
- Solitary kidney. National Kidney & Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/solitarykidney/. Accessed April 10, 2012.
- Wein AJ, et al. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 10th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-6/0/1445/0.html. Accessed April 11, 2012.
- Patel MN, et al. Robotic partial nephrectomy: A comparison to current techniques. Urologic Oncology. 2010;28:74.
- Castle EP (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Ariz. May 8, 2012.
- Adjusted patient survival, deceased donor kidney transplants (table 5.12c). Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) and Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) annual report. http://www.srtr.org/annual_reports/2010/512c_agecat_ki.htm. Accessed April 11, 2012.
- Adjusted patient survival, living donor kidney transplants (table 5.12d). Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) and Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) annual report. http://www.srtr.org/annual_reports/2010/512d_agecat_ki.htm. Accessed April 11, 2012.
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