Overview
A nephrectomy is a medical term for removal of a kidney. Two different methods are commonly utilized in the approach to a nephrectomy: an open or a laparoscopic nephrectomy. Your kidneys are responsible for filtering excess fluids and wastes from the left. They also produce hormones that help to regulate blood pressure, produce urine, and make sure that your body receives proper minerals and nutrients through the bloodstream.

Who Benefits from a Nephrectomy?
The partial or complete removal of a kidney may be required for the treatment of kidney cancers, or to remove part of or an entire kidney that has been damaged by accident or disease. In many cases, the nephrectomy may be recommended to remove cancerous or malignant tumors, as well as abnormal growth on the surface of the kidney. Chronic malfunction of the kidney may lead to chronic kidney diseases as well as high blood pressure. In some cases, the risks and complications of removing a kidney are balanced with the long-term health and wellness of the individual.

Nephrectomy Procedure Basics
Prior to a decision to remove part of or an entire kidney, a patient will undergo a variety of tests, which include CT scans, MRIs, and ultrasound imaging tests. Hospitalization for a nephrectomy may range between one and three days on average, depending on whether an open or a laparoscopic approach to the surgery is used. Hospitalization and recovery time also depend on whether the nephrectomy is a partial or complete (called a radical), removal of the kidney.
Whether a radical or partial nephrectomy is required, the patient is placed under general anesthesia and remains asleep throughout the procedure. Several common approaches are utilized in kidney surgical procedures including:

• Open incision surgery - a single 10 to 20-inch long incision is made in the side of the abdomen underneath the rib cage to access the damage kidney. The kidney is removed through this opening.
• Robot assisted laparoscopic surgery - this technique utilizes extremely small incisions and precise extraction of a diseased or damaged kidney.
• Laparoscopic surgery - still the most common and considered a minimally invasive surgical procedure utilizing several very small openings in the abdomen, this approach uses various medical tools and equipment which are inserted into these small openings.  In the event an entire kidney is removed, a slightly larger opening is created.

The doctor decides whether you need a partial or radical nephrectomy. Partial nephrectomy spares as much of the kidney as possible, and are often utilized to remove cancerous tumors, growths or diseased tissues. A radical nephrectomy involves the removal of the entire kidney as well as portions of the ureter that connects the kidney to the bladder. In some cases, tissue surrounding the kidney may also be removed, including the adrenal gland, which sits on top of the kidney.

How Much Does a Nephrectomy Procedure Cost?
In the United States, a nephrectomy a procedures average between $60,000 and $115,000, depending on whether a partial or radical nephrectomy is required. However, in countries such as Costa Rica, Thailand, India and Turkey, nephrectomy surgery averages between $4,000 and $7,000, again depending on the technique as well as whether a partial or radical nephrectomy is performed.

Who Performs a Nephrectomy Procedure?
A urologist typically performs the nephrectomy procedure. A urologist a doctor who has specialized in training in branches of surgery to the kidneys, bladder, or urethra, male reproductive organs or pelvic surgery. Choose a surgeon who has undergone basic and comprehensive education in general surgery, who then undergoes additional training in urology, a surgical subspecialty. He or she should be approved to practice in accredited healthcare facilities or hospitals. Specialists should be experienced and knowledgeable regarding specific conditions.