Learn about minimally invasive options for kidney surgery. Procedures include radical and partial nephrectomy.
There are a number of conditions that may prompt your doctor to recommend kidney surgery. They can range from benign (noncancerous) conditions to cancer conditions.
It’s important to learn about the many options for care available. You and your doctor can discuss your choices and decide which approach is right for you. On this page, you’ll find information on types of kidney surgeries, how they are performed, questions you can ask your doctor, and how to find a surgeon who performs kidney surgery with the da Vinci system.
Your doctor may recommend a partial or radical nephrectomy, which is surgery to remove some (partial) or all (radical) of the affected kidney.
Surgeons can perform partial and radical nephrectomies through open surgery or a minimally invasive approach. Traditional open surgery requires a long incision in your side, abdomen, or back and may also require doctors to take out your lowest rib. During open surgery, the surgeon looks directly at the surgical area and removes part or all of the kidney using hand-held tools.
There are two minimally invasive approaches to radical and partial nephrectomies: laparoscopic surgery and robotic-assisted surgery, possibly with da Vinci technology. Both minimally invasive surgical options require a few small incisions that doctors use to insert surgical instruments and a camera for viewing. In laparoscopic surgery, doctors use special long-handled tools while viewing magnified images from a laparoscope (camera) on a video screen.
It’s important to remember that Intuitive does not provide medical advice. After discussing all options with your doctor, only you and your doctor can determine whether surgery with the da Vinci system is appropriate for your situation. You should always ask your surgeon about his or her training, experience, and patient outcomes.
Every surgeon's experience is different. Be sure to talk with your surgeon about the surgical outcomes they deliver using the da Vinci system. For example, ask about:
There are additional surgical outcomes you may want to talk about with your doctor. Please ask to discuss all important outcomes. Every surgery involves risk and you can read more about those associated with kidney surgery.
See detail about kidney surgery with da Vinci systems in our brochure designed for patients and their families.
Learn more about da Vinci system technology and more about robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery.
Explore what happens on the day of surgery with the da Vinci system and tips for planning and preparation.
Risks associated with nephrectomy (kidney removal) including partial nephrectomy (removing part of the kidney) include poor kidney function often due to limited blood flow, leaking of urine, cut or tear in the spleen, pancreas or liver, bowel injury, trapped air between the chest wall and lung, injury to diaphragm (muscle separating the chest from the abdomen), urinary fistula (abnormal bond of an organ, intestine or vessel to another part of the body), abnormal pooling of urine, limited or cut off blood supply to kidney, abnormal pooling of lymph fluid.
Important safety information
Patients should talk to their doctor to decide if surgery with a da Vinci system is right for them. Patients and doctors should review all available information on nonsurgical and surgical options and associated risks in order to make an informed decision.
Serious complications may occur in any surgery, including surgery with a da Vinci system, up to and including death. Serious risks include, but are not limited to, injury to tissues and organs and conversion to other surgical techniques which could result in a longer operative time and/or increased complications.
For important safety information, including surgical risks and considerations, please also refer to www.intuitive.com/safety. For a product’s intended use and/or indications for use, risks, full cautions and warnings, please refer to the associated User Manual(s).
Individuals’ outcomes may depend on a number of factors, including but not limited to patient characteristics, disease characteristics, and/or surgeon experience.
Da Vinci Xi/X system precaution statement
The demonstration of safety and effectiveness for the representative specific procedures did not include evaluation of outcomes related to the treatment of cancer (overall survival, disease-free survival, local recurrence) or treatment of the patient’s underlying disease/condition. Device usage in all surgical procedures should be guided by the clinical judgment of an adequately trained surgeon.
Medical advice and locating a doctor
Patients should talk to their doctor to decide if da Vinci surgery is right for them. Other options may be available and appropriate. Only a doctor can determine whether da Vinci surgery is appropriate for a patient’s situation. Patients and doctors should review all available information on both non-surgical and surgical options in order to make an informed decision.
Surgeons who perform surgery using the da Vinci system can be found using the Surgeon Locator. Intuitive Surgical provides surgeons with training on the use of the da Vinci system but does not certify, credential or qualify the surgeons listed in the Surgeon Locator.
Product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intuitive Surgical or their respective owners. See www.intuitive.com/trademarks.
