| Kidney cancer surgery in India at Mumbai and Delhi is | | | | need a urostomy (a bag to collect your urine). But |
| very popular as facilities provided by Indian hospitals | | | | you might need a drainage tube (urinary catheter) |
| are comparable with any other major hospital | | | | from your bladder for a few days after your |
| world-wide. Indian surgeons are leaders in diagnosing | | | | operation. |
| and treating people with kidney cancer, and bring | | | | If your surgeon is satisfied that all the cancer has |
| comprehensive, compassionate care to each patient | | | | been removed, you won't need any further |
| coming for kidney cancer surgery in India supported | | | | treatment. If the surgeon is concerned that some |
| by an array of state-of-the-art equipments to offer | | | | cancer cells may have been left behind, you may |
| services that are unique and far superior to anything | | | | need to have immunotherapy treatment. In some |
| presently available. Over the years Indian hospitals at | | | | cases, you may be offered a course of radiotherapy. |
| Mumbai and Delhi have been treating patients from | | | | |
| various countries like USA, UK, Canada, Pakistan, Iran, | | | | Relieving symptoms |
| Malaysia, Oman etc with a commitment to provide | | | | Even if your cancer is unlikely to be cured with |
| quality services, compassion and competence in order | | | | surgery, it may still be worth you having an operation |
| to meet all kinds of needs of patients coming from all | | | | to remove it. Your doctor may call this a palliative |
| over the world. Types of kidney cancer surgery | | | | nephrectomy. Sometimes the primary cancer causes |
| Curing cancer that has not spread | | | | troublesome symptoms that can be successfully |
| Stage 1 and 2 cancers are most likely to be curable | | | | treated by removing the kidney. The kidney tumour |
| with surgery. It is sometimes possible to cure stage 3 | | | | may be causing you pain locally, or causing blood in |
| cancers with surgery if the surgeon can get all the | | | | your urine. Or you may have general symptoms such |
| cancer out. Either the whole kidney (radical | | | | as fevers or weakness. The tumour can upset levels |
| nephrectomy) or just the affected part of the | | | | of chemicals in your blood, which can cause all sorts |
| kidney (partial nephrectomy) can be removed. | | | | of symptoms, including sickness or drowsiness. In |
| Radical nephrectomy | | | | kidney cancer, general symptoms are sometimes |
| This is the most common type of surgery for kidney | | | | caused by chemicals called cytokines that are |
| cancer that has not spread. The surgeon will remove | | | | released by the tumour. Removing the tumour can |
| the whole kidney with the tissues around it, including | | | | get rid of these symptoms. |
| the adrenal gland. The adrenal gland is attached to | | | | Removing cancer spread |
| the kidney. Some lymph nodes in the area will also be | | | | This is very specialist surgery. It is becoming more |
| removed. The surgery is fairly major but if your | | | | common as it is possible to slow down a cancer and |
| cancer has not spread, this is all the treatment you | | | | so give a longer and better quality of life to those |
| will need. | | | | with advanced cancer. In some cases, it may even |
| Partial nephrectomy | | | | be possible to cure a cancer by removing a single |
| This means removing the cancer and part of the | | | | area of cancer spread. |
| kidney surrounding it. Some of the kidney is left | | | | Kidney cancer surgery procedure |
| behind. You may hear your doctor call this 'nephron | | | | Surgery is the most common treatment for kidney |
| sparing surgery'. The nephron is the filtering unit of | | | | cancer. Urologic surgeons at Indian hospitals have |
| the kidney, so this just means that you will have | | | | extensive experience performing minimally invasive |
| some working kidney left after the operation. | | | | procedures, such as robot-assisted partial |
| Nephron sparing surgery only used to be done in | | | | nephrectomy, which enables extremely precise |
| special cases, for example if | | | | incisions and rapid suturing, decreases surgical scarring, |
| Your other kidney is damaged | | | | and leads to faster postsurgical healing. Indian |
| You only have one kidney | | | | surgeons also perform other minimally invasive, |
| You have cancer in both kidneys | | | | state-of-the-art techniques such as radiofrequency |
| Keyhole surgery | | | | ablation and cryoablation. Minimally invasive options |
| Doctors prefer to call this ‘minimal access | | | | offer more precisely-targeted procedures to limit |
| surgery’ or ‘laparoscopic | | | | tissue damage, speed recovery and ensure as much |
| surgery’. It means having an operation without | | | | continued normal kidney function as possible, with the |
| needing a major incision (wound site). The surgeon | | | | least amount of discomfort and risk of complications. |
| uses an instrument that is a bit like a telescope. This | | | | Minimally invasive treatment options are different for |
| is called a laparoscope. It has a camera so the | | | | each patient depending on the extent of their |
| surgeon can see inside the body. The surgeon will | | | | disease. |
| usually make a number of small cuts through your | | | | Complications of kidney cancer surgery |
| skin. They can put the laparoscope and other small | | | | The commonest complications of surgery are |
| instruments through these to carry out the surgery. | | | | infections and blood clots. Infections can develop in |
| So you will end up with 3 or 4 small wounds, each a | | | | your lungs, or your wound site |
| centimeter or so long. The surgeon can manipulate | | | | The signs of a wound infection are |
| the instruments and watch what he or she is doing | | | | Redness |
| on the camera. It is possible for an experienced | | | | Pain |
| surgeon to remove a whole kidney or part of a | | | | Swelling |
| kidney using laparoscopic surgery. The advantages of | | | | Oozing from the wound |
| laparoscopic surgery over normal ‘open’ | | | | Blood clots can develop because you are not moving |
| surgery are | | | | around as much as usual. |
| You are likely to be more comfortable and need less | | | | Why India |
| painkilling medication after your operation | | | | Super specialty Hospitals of Mumbai and Delhi are one |
| You can usually go home from hospital more quickly | | | | of the most advanced surgical centers for kidney |
| You usually recover from the operation more quickly | | | | cancer surgery in India. |
| There are drawbacks. The operation may take | | | | India, as a destination for medical tourism is not new, |
| longer, so you may be under anaesthetic for longer. | | | | for many tourists India offers much cheaper option |
| In about 1 in 100 (1%) of these operations, the | | | | for kidney cancer surgery without compromising on |
| surgeon has to switch to regular ‘open’ | | | | quality. Medical tourism in India manages every detail |
| surgery during the procedure. This could be because | | | | to ensure their experience is safe and comfortable, |
| the position or size of the tumour makes it difficult | | | | with the highest standards of both medical and |
| to reach, or because there is difficulty controlling | | | | non-medical services. Medical tourism in India offers a |
| bleeding. | | | | premium service for patients wishing to benefit from |
| | | | the high quality of Indian medical services and |
| Treatment after surgery | | | | ensures patient’s acceptance into the most |
| In most cases, the operation to remove your kidney | | | | appropriate Indian hospital for their medical procedure. |
| will not affect your bladder. This means you will not | | | | |