When the kidney tumor has certain characteristics, it is possible to perform a partial surgery, that is, to remove only the tumor, preserving the kidney and avoiding the deterioration of kidney function that occurs when the entire kidney is removed. In cases where this is not possible, it will be imperative to perform a radical nephrectomy, that is, to remove the entire organ. Carrying out the procedure with the robot makes it much easier and helps to be more precise, to reduce kidney damage and to make a better reconstruction of the tissues near the removed tumor.
Brief description of the procedure:
The patient is placed on his side under general anesthesia and lasts between 2 and 4 hours. 4 small incisions are made on the side of the abdominal wall (4-5), through which the robotic instruments are introduced.
The pertinent maneuvers are carried out to access the tumor, the tumor is resected, and then the necessary sutures are carried out on the remaining renal tissue as well as the application of other hemostatic agents. At the end of the surgery, the excised tissue is removed through one of the previously enlarged holes.
The hospital stay is about 72 hours, usually the first postoperative day is performed in the ICU. In most cases the recovery to be able to return to normal activities is between 2 and 3 weeks.
