Laparoscopic / Robotic Partial Nephrectomy

What is laparoscopic or robotic partial nephrectomy?

As diagnostic testing for kidney cancer becomes more and more advanced, it's getting easier for doctors to catch kidney tumors when they're small. Early detection of a tumor in your kidney gives you more options for treatment, including a partial nephrectomy.

Nephrectomy surgery involves removing the entire kidney, but a partial nephrectomy only removes the part of the kidney surrounding the tumor. This leaves the rest of your kidney's healthy tissue to do its job. This can be helpful if you:

• Have tumors in both of your kidneys
• Only have one kidney
• Have reduced kidney function or existing kidney disease

Preserving your healthy kidney tissue can help lower the chances that you'll need dialysis in the future.

How does robotic / laparoscopic partial nephrectomy work?

A partial nephrectomy surgery can be a traditional, open surgery done through one large incision, or it can be a minimally invasive surgery that uses a few small incisions.

Laparoscopic (minimally invasive) partial nephrectomy involves making a few small incisions in your abdomen. Through these incisions, the surgeon will insert a small camera to see inside the abdomen. The camera will help guide the small surgical tools used to remove the tumor from your kidney.

Robotic laparoscopic partial nephrectomy goes a step further. Rather than directing the surgical tools by hand, the surgeon uses a special control panel to guide a set of robotic arms through the surgery. These arms allow for even greater precision.

We treat your kidneys with care

Kidney surgery can be tricky — the kidneys filter all of your body's blood, so they need to be treated with care during surgery. Robotic laparoscopic partial nephrectomy lets surgeons remove masses very delicately and precisely, which helps to lower your risk for complications. It's a minimally invasive procedure, so your recovery time is also likely to be shorter than with traditional open surgery