Partial Nephrectomy

Overview

Performing a partial nephrectomy.

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Completing a partial nephrectomy.

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Partial nephrectomy at Mayo Clinic — also called kidney-sparing surgery or nephron-sparing surgery — can be an excellent treatment option for patients diagnosed with kidney tumors. Mayo Clinic urologic surgeons have performed thousands of partial nephrectomies since adopting the procedure over 30 years ago. Today, early kidney tumor detection allows Mayo surgeons to precisely target diseased tissue and remove it, while preserving as much kidney mass and function as possible.

Partial nephrectomy offers effective protection against cancer recurrence for patients who have small, localized solid masses and no other potentially complicating features such as scarring or kidney disease. A partial nephrectomy can also improve the odds of healthy long-term kidney function, which is particularly important for patients with only one kidney who would otherwise require regular dialysis treatment and/or a kidney transplant following a radical nephrectomy (total removal of the kidney). Mayo Clinic was one of the first medical institutions to perform partial nephrectomy and has extensive experience with the procedure.

Further, Mayo Clinic research indicates partial nephrectomy procedures performed in patients less than 65 years old may actually contribute to increased survival rates, compared to patients who undergo radical nephrectomies. Evidence suggests risks associated with heart-related complications increase as kidney function declines with age. Therefore, patients who can keep the function of more than one kidney have a better outlook as they age and their overall kidney performance decreases.