Is this sugeury life threating partial sugeruy on kidney to remove a toumer that has cancer in it they are going to remove 1/5 of kidney is this life threating?

All : All surgery has the potential for causing complications, including death. However one must weigh the risks of having surgery with the risks of not having surgery. If the tumor on the kidney is malignant, then for most patients, the benefits of surgery far outweigh the risks of surgery. Those whose operative risk is too high, for example if there is advanced age, infirmity, other life threatening diseases, such as advanced heart disease, then other options can be considered. Surgery remains the customary treatment option for most kidney cancer patients. Other procedures may be offered as secondary treatments or primary treatments when surgery is not permitted because of other conditions the patient may have. In the past, the standard open technique for kidney cancer was to make an incision is made in the patient’s side and the kidney is removed (nephrectomy), but doctors realized that for many patients complete removal is unnecessary. The risk of cancer recurrence for appropriately selected patients was no higher for partial nephrectomies (i.e. Removing only part of the kidney harboring the tumor. Partial nephrectomy has become routine and allows for the preservation of kidney function and a reduced risk of kidney failure in the long-term. Recently laparoscopic (minimally invasive) technique — incisions no more than a few centimeters are made and narrow tubes are inserted into the abdomen near the kidneys. Video and surgical instruments are inserted through tubes to allow the surgeon to conduct the procedure within the body. This requires a higher degree of expertise and while not all patients are candidates for this, however the benefits of decreased hospitalization and earlier recovery are potential benefits.

While : While all surgery entails some risk the key is balancing the underlying problem and potential benefits. A well qualified urologic surgeon should evaluate these risks and benefits. Bleeding and urine leak are the two most common complications but should be manageable by a well trained experienced surgeon.