Open Nephrectomy

In radical nephrectomy, if the tumor is large, the entire kidney, the surrounding fatty tissue, and sometimes the adrenal gland are removed together. In partial nephrectomy (kidney-sparing surgery), if the tumor is small and appropriately located, only the cancerous mass is cleared, leaving the healthy kidney tissue in the patient.

The human body is capable of living a completely normal, long, and unrestricted life with a single healthy kidney. The remaining single kidney increases its capacity over time (hypertrophy) and easily assumes the workload of two kidneys on its own.

Because the incision size is larger compared to the laparoscopic (closed) method, the hospital stay is generally around 4-7 days. Full recovery and return to daily activities can take 4 to 6 weeks. During this period, it is important to protect the wound site and comply with the dietary recommendations given by the physician.