Life after kidney removal: possible risks and complications

Nephrectomy is the process of surgical removal of the kidney. If a nephrectomy is performed when a malignant process is detected in the kidney, then adjacent body fat and adrenal gland are removed together with the organ. If only the upper or lower part of the organ is removed, the operation is called a partial nephrectomy.

Despite the complexity of the surgical intervention, complications and risks of their development do not practically arise in patients without pronounced additional lesions of the body, and life after kidney removal is normalized in a relatively short time.

Bilateral nephrectomy is the removal of both kidneys. Such an operation is organized as an intermediate stage of kidney transplantation in order to rid the body of possible sources of urinary infection.

Nephrectomy may be required for a variety of renal pathologies, in situations where their functioning or anatomical integrity can not be restored and a high risk of complications arises at the same time. Such conditions include:

• Gunshot wounds of the kidney, accompanied by crushing of the kidney tissue.
• Closed injuries of the kidney causing serious impairment in functioning.
• Urolithiasis, accompanied by the development of pus.
• Tumor process in the kidney.

Preparatory phase of

Before starting the operation, it is required to arrange the delivery of urine and blood tests. Mandatory blood tests include:

• General blood tests.
• Blood clotting tests.
• Blood tests for sugar content. Biochemical blood tests.

Immediately before the operation, the patient is examined by an anesthesiologist. Nephrectomy requires general anesthesia.

Conducting the

operation The patient is placed on the operating table. Depending on whether the removal of the left kidney or right kidney is performed, the patient is turned to a healthy side with a special roller placed beneath it. To fix this position, special devices of the operating table are used.

The physician accesses the kidneys by performing an oblique incision in the lumbar region. Then a layered dissection of the skin, subcutaneous tissue, fascia and muscles is performed. Now the surgeon gets immediate access to the kidney, enclosed in a special fat capsule. The kidney is removed from this capsule. Sometimes such manipulations become difficult to carry out technically, because organ can have scars and adhesions.

After excretion of the kidney, its foot is bandaged and crossed. Initially, with the help of two ligatures, the ureter is bandaged. Subsequently, the vessels of the kidney are secreted - the vein and the artery - which are also bandaged and intersected. After complete crossing of the renal pedicle, the organ is removed.

At the end of the operation, the doctor examines the kidney bed and stops bleeding from small vessels. Then a drainage tube is placed in the bed, and the wound is gradually sewn up, and a sterile bandage is applied on it.

After the operation by means of a dropper, the patient's body receives the necessary painkillers and fluids. Also, careful monitoring of blood pressure, electrolyte levels and fluid balance is carried out. Very often for a short period of time immediately after surgery, the patient needs a urinary catheter placement. As soon as the patient's condition permits, he will be asked to gradually get out of bed and start walking.

Typically, the average hospital stay after nephrectomy is two to seven days, and the exact time is correlated with the severity of the operation. In the event of complications, the doctor prolongs the period of stay in the hospital.

Behavior after discharge from hospital

During the three months after completion of the operation, the patient should avoid serious physical exertion, playing sports, and in the first month it is necessary to wear a special bandage. Also, you should not lift weights heavier than 3 kg, avoid drinking alcohol and hypothermia.

It is recommended to walk more often and walk in the fresh air. Usually, after seven to ten days, the person is discharged from the hospital, provided they are in good health. If the labor activity is not connected with physical labor, then you can start work. Only after four to six weeks is allowed to resume sexual activity.

Risks and possible complications of

Any surgical intervention and even anesthesia is always accompanied by some risks of getting complications that can be life-threatening, connected not only with the diseases present, but also with the individual characteristics of the organism, sometimes they can not be predicted.

Possible anesthesia risks for the patient are explained by the anesthesiologist.

Direct complications during surgery include injury to nearby organs - the intestine, spleen, pleura. Pancreas. This can cause the need for their resection or excision or suturing defects.

Complications of the immediate postoperative period may be as follows:

• Severe bleeding, which can cause repeated surgical intervention.
• Thromboembolism.
• Infectious infections - purulent-inflammatory processes in the area of ​​a postoperative wound.
• Formation of acute ulcers of the duodenum or stomach, bleeding of the esophagus.
• Wrong evacuation of the intestine, leading to intestinal obstruction.

A few months after surgery, the following complications can develop:

• The formation of a deformity, that is, a hernia, may occur after any open surgery.
• Education in the abdominal cavity of adhesions.
• Re-formation of the kidney tumor process.

If a person's life expectancy after the removal of the kidneys, then it practically does not differ from the life span of healthy people.

Observation with a doctor

The main goal of a doctor's observation after a nephrectomy surgery is to assess the quality of the remaining kidney, and also to control the re-emergence of the disease in the case of a malignant kidney tumor.

Six months after the operation, it is necessary to contact a urologist for a follow-up examination, which consists in a conversation with a doctor, carrying out a computer tomography scan for the space behind the peritoneum. Subsequently, computed tomography should be performed at least once a year.

In addition, the patient will need to take biochemical blood tests every year and organize a radiographic examination of the chest. As a rule, the exact time of the follow-up examination is appointed by the attending physician.