The Purpose of Laparoscopic Nephrectomy   by Sandy Rutherforde

in Health / Diseases and Conditions    (submitted 2012-01-01)

The removal of a kidney is known as a nephrectomy. This surgery is utilized to remove all or a portion of the kidney. The key purpose of the kidneys is to purify the blood with the removal of harmful toxins and waste products. Urine is created while the blood is filtered and when the kidneys are unable to filter the blood, which primarily takes place as a consequence of some type of disease, they might have to be taken out.

There are actually different kinds of nephrectomy and they largely differ based on the part of the kidney to be extracted as well as the reason for the removal. In the event the kidney is taken out for donation purposes, this procedure is known as a donor nephrectomy. In other situations, partial or total nephrectomy is done.

There's a couple of methods to conduct this surgical operation while removing the kidneys or their affected parts.

Laparoscopic Nephrectomy: In this procedure complete incision of the abdominal wall is not required. The doctor makes several smaller incisions and inserts a tube with a camera connected to it. With additional incisions, the instruments to do the surgery are inserted. The complete operation is conducted using the images displayed by the camera on the display installed in the area.

Open Nephrectomy: With this surgery, a significant part of the individual's abdominal wall is removed. Through this incision, the kidney is then taken out. This technique is largely adopted and requires a longer recovery period in comparison with laparoscopic nephrectomy.

Determined by the portion of the kidney that's damaged and requires removal, the kind of surgical procedure is chosen by the surgeons. The portion of the kidney that needs to be taken out is decided by the extent of the damage caused to it by the disease. The disease affecting the kidney may also harm the tissues in the surrounding areas and therefore comprehensive evaluation of the area is very important before any kind of surgical procedure is done.

The scope of damage to the kidney will be determined with the help of results acquired through a variety of tests like ultrasound, tomography and MRI.

In ultrasound tests, images of the kidneys are obtained, which will help in determining the degree of the damage caused to it. In a CT scan, images of cross sectional pieces of the kidney tissue are obtained. An MRI, or Magnetic Resonance Imaging, offers a distinct 3D picture of the kidney. Using the results of all these tests, the doctor determines the method to be used for removing the kidney.

A laparoscopic nephrectomy is performed with a general anesthetic. It results in a lot less problems in comparison to the open surgical procedure and the affected person needs to stay in the hospital for a fewer number of days than in the case of the open nephrectomy.

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Are you looking for information on the laparoscopic instruments used by surgeons. Be sure to visit Laparoscopic Surgery Site for more information on laparoscopic instruments.