Kidney Tumor located by veins and artery?

lal_njl

I was recently diagonsed with a kidney tumor. Right kidney 2 x 2 cm.  Doctor feels it is indeed cancerous.  They are looking to do surgery in January 2016.

My concern is that they told me that it will need to be an open procedure as they are not comfortable with the laproscopic approach due to the tumor being so close to the veins & arteries leading to and from the kidney and heart.  They are planning on doing a partial, but it is dependent on what they find once they get inside.  It could be changed to a radical.

Has anyone else dealt with this?

I am only 45 and this whole process scares me to death!

Yeric

veins and arterys

You are getting your information straight up.  My second operation was a partial.   And that was about what I was told.  What they left me with has proven to be the toughest piece of kidney ever. 

I understand the being scared stuff.  Hang in there the best you can.  There are lots of good people here with ears and shoulders if you need them.  And then there is me.

Enjoy the holidays the best you can.

Bobby

mrou50

Lal

I had something similar only the doctor new they were going to do a radical nephrectomy, but half way into the surgery a tumor was found that was not seen on the CT scan so they just delayed the surgery for a little bit while I was out and had an expert come into make sure the second tumor that was found near my renal tube was not in any way wrapped around it the tube.  It was not so they went on with removal of the kidney.  In my case I was completely out during the surgery so I had no recollection of the ordeal only what was told to me afterwards.  My point is the doctors know what they are doing they have to tell you what might happen and other issues but they know what they are doing you will be safe.  Hang in there and make sure you do all of your follow up appointments

Jan4you

mrou50 said:

Lal

I had something similar only the doctor new they were going to do a radical nephrectomy, but half way into the surgery a tumor was found that was not seen on the CT scan so they just delayed the surgery for a little bit while I was out and had an expert come into make sure the second tumor that was found near my renal tube was not in any way wrapped around it the tube.  It was not so they went on with removal of the kidney.  In my case I was completely out during the surgery so I had no recollection of the ordeal only what was told to me afterwards.  My point is the doctors know what they are doing they have to tell you what might happen and other issues but they know what they are doing you will be safe.  Hang in there and make sure you do all of your follow up appointments

You came to the right place

You came to the right place for information and support. Glad you did. For me, coming hear first helped prepare me to make the right decisions. My surgery was successful, my recovery uneventful, less painful and I remain NED

(No evidence of Disase) 2 years later!

Yes, it can seem  scary at first, especially hearing the C word.

Have you ever had any surgery? I can help you with that privately if you like DM me under "emails."

I too have my tumor near the blood  supply and basically after explaining it would be a trickier surgery

as a result, it was clearly best to have a radical than a partial. But that was my case.

What I was delighted with is that they could still do a laproscopic/robotic procedure. It is easier to heal  from  that I feel, and less pain in my case. It was my 2nd laproscopic/robatic abdominal surgery.

You can see another surgeon to see what their opinion is on comparing an OPEN vs Laproscopic and how they make that decision. As I was told, you 'may" need a OPEN incision, but we're planning on doing a laproscopic one.

Ask us or your docs as many questions you need to, my friend. We'll be here for you and walk this journey along side of you.

Warmly, Jan

 

foroughsh

You joined the right board,

You joined the right board, we've all been there, it's a tough  trip but still doable. I was 36 when diagnosed with 10 cm tumor so for long time after the emergency surgery I was still in shock and kept asking myself why me? Why at this age? But time heals and helps, now i'm 16 months after diagnosis day and based on my last  ultrasound I'm NED, next c.t scan is next month and i'm hopeful to bring good news to the group. The open nephrectomy is a major surgery so you need to do what your medical team asks you to do, take rest before it, stay positive and be happy for finding it so soon, a 2 cm tomur is a stage one which normally means more than 90% chance of never having any related problem for the rest of your life. You need to wait for the pathogy report to know detail info about the tomur which will be received after the surgery. Mine was open too , i'm not saying it was walk in the park but it wasn't as bad as some consider . I spent two nights at hospital and then came home,sweet home , and I could do all my personal works since the second night not as easy as always but still manageable, I had random pain for long time after the surgery but also had something wonderful and that is called life, maybe kidney cancer is a good one because we have one surgery and then wait and see, but most cancers have multiple treatments which needs to be done, surgery,chemo,radiography,.... 

icemantoo

foroughsh said:

You joined the right board,

You joined the right board, we've all been there, it's a tough  trip but still doable. I was 36 when diagnosed with 10 cm tumor so for long time after the emergency surgery I was still in shock and kept asking myself why me? Why at this age? But time heals and helps, now i'm 16 months after diagnosis day and based on my last  ultrasound I'm NED, next c.t scan is next month and i'm hopeful to bring good news to the group. The open nephrectomy is a major surgery so you need to do what your medical team asks you to do, take rest before it, stay positive and be happy for finding it so soon, a 2 cm tomur is a stage one which normally means more than 90% chance of never having any related problem for the rest of your life. You need to wait for the pathogy report to know detail info about the tomur which will be received after the surgery. Mine was open too , i'm not saying it was walk in the park but it wasn't as bad as some consider . I spent two nights at hospital and then came home,sweet home , and I could do all my personal works since the second night not as easy as always but still manageable, I had random pain for long time after the surgery but also had something wonderful and that is called life, maybe kidney cancer is a good one because we have one surgery and then wait and see, but most cancers have multiple treatments which needs to be done, surgery,chemo,radiography,.... 

Welcome

Lal,

 

 

Welcome to the club which no one in their right mind would volunteer to join. Not fun about this C word stuff and the first thing they want to do is yank out your kidney. I would leave it to the doctors as to which play book they use and whether or not they make a game time substitution. If you are like the rest of us you initially felt like sh-- when you first heard all this.

 

 

The good thing is that at 2cm your tumor is just a little buggar and you are scheduled for a full recovery from the surgery alone.  Been there, done that a lucky 13 years ago. At 45 years old you still have more than half your life ahead of you. You will feel a lot better once you get the surgery and recovery behind you.

 

Any other questions, just ask the experts on this forum. We have all had the neph., while the doctors have never gone thru it themselves. Mine even tried out as a comedian when he wrote on my discharge summary, that I was discharged without pain.

 

 

I

 

Icemantoo

 

Ree_Maryland

lal

Hi, I had a tumor on   my right kidney where you are talking about, the veins leading to the kidney and heart, my Dr did a lap, he had to remove the whole kidney because the tumor was close to the vein and arteries, and the tumor was bigger than the kidney , that has been a year and a half ago . I feel ok, i try not to burro trouble , you will be fine . lots of comfort and encourgment here on the board,so hang in there and try not to worry, you should be fine.

dhs1963

It is scary. Get a second opinion...

You do need the surgery.  No question.  But, another (possibly more experienced) urologist may be willing to do it laproscopically.  With that said, I would rather have an open surgery that saves much of the kidney.

Everyone is told that they won't know what happens until they get inside.  In my case, the tumor was too big for a partial, so they did a hand-assisted laproscopic surgery.  In hindsight, I wish he had done open, as I have had a lot of issues with scaring.  

 

Good luck.  2 cm is small.  You should be fine.

Positive_Mental_Attitude

Lal, I think that nearly

Lal, I think that nearly everyone here was scared after their initial diagnosis.  I was 47 and extremely healthy when diagnosed.  I was a blubbering mess a week or two before surgery.  I had a 2.9 cm tumor on my right kidney.  The first urologist I consulted with said I would need a radical nephrectomy because my tumor was in a difficult location.  That led me to Google and I found a urologist an Memorial Sloan Kettering-they do all types of surgeries there.  Dr. Russo at MSKCC would ONLY do an open surgergy, and he went into great detail as to why an open surgery was a better option FOR ME.  I do not agree that laparascopic surgeries always are easier and result in shorter recovery times.  My recovery was a breeze.  Surgery on Thursday morning.  On the following Monday, I was walking 6 miles per day as part of my recovery.  The way Dr. Russo explained it to me, and as I recall, laparascopic surgery can have more complications when the tumor is in a difficult location.  My firm experience and opinion is to go with the open surgery.  Don't be swayed into laparascopic because the recovery time will be easier/shorter.  That was not the case with me.  

 

Here is a link to a video where several doctors from MSKCC discuss surgical options:

http://bcove.me/mpa64qqd

 

APny

Positive_Mental_Attitude said:

Lal, I think that nearly

Lal, I think that nearly everyone here was scared after their initial diagnosis.  I was 47 and extremely healthy when diagnosed.  I was a blubbering mess a week or two before surgery.  I had a 2.9 cm tumor on my right kidney.  The first urologist I consulted with said I would need a radical nephrectomy because my tumor was in a difficult location.  That led me to Google and I found a urologist an Memorial Sloan Kettering-they do all types of surgeries there.  Dr. Russo at MSKCC would ONLY do an open surgergy, and he went into great detail as to why an open surgery was a better option FOR ME.  I do not agree that laparascopic surgeries always are easier and result in shorter recovery times.  My recovery was a breeze.  Surgery on Thursday morning.  On the following Monday, I was walking 6 miles per day as part of my recovery.  The way Dr. Russo explained it to me, and as I recall, laparascopic surgery can have more complications when the tumor is in a difficult location.  My firm experience and opinion is to go with the open surgery.  Don't be swayed into laparascopic because the recovery time will be easier/shorter.  That was not the case with me.  

 

Here is a link to a video where several doctors from MSKCC discuss surgical options:

http://bcove.me/mpa64qqd

 

I had an open partial also

I had the same surgeon, Dr. Russo, as Positive_Mental above and I too disagree that lap is always easier and have shorter recovery. I had surgery in the morning on Monday, up and walking that evening around the ward, and home on Wednesday. By Thrusday morning I was sitting at my computer doing work (from home). My incision is under 5 inches and now, not even two years out, barely visible. Like a hairline. I can't imagine an easier recovery than I had. It was not fun, and wouldn't want to do it again but the pain was much less than I dreaded and envisioned. I had a lot more pain from a torn meniscus 3 years prior.

That said, it all depends on the location of the tumor, the skill of the surgeon, and your physical shape. I too had to sign off on a possible conversion to radical but fortunately that wasn't necessary. Try to exercise as much as possible prior to surgery, either by jogging, walking, or using a treadmill. I'm convinced that helped me in my recovery and I'm considerably older than you Best of luck to you and try not to stress too much. Your imagination is always worse than reality.

lal_njl

Thank you EVERYONE for

Thank you EVERYONE for sharing your information with me!  I was so glad to see some replies this morning .

Many things to think about, but I certainly know I am far better off getting this cancer out of me, sooner rather than later.

Thank you all for being so encouraging and sharing how your recovery is going.   I hope everyone continues to be well!

I will follow up with surgery information and also the path information afterwards.

lal

Footstomper

lal_njl said:

Thank you EVERYONE for

Thank you EVERYONE for sharing your information with me!  I was so glad to see some replies this morning .

Many things to think about, but I certainly know I am far better off getting this cancer out of me, sooner rather than later.

Thank you all for being so encouraging and sharing how your recovery is going.   I hope everyone continues to be well!

I will follow up with surgery information and also the path information afterwards.

lal

scared

We all are and strangely lonely because no one knows how to react so we have to swim these uncharted waters alone. try not to worry. You're right you are far better of having your lump removed while its still a tiddler, for comparison mine was 10cm and gruwing up the vein, and I'm still hear 2 1/2 years later. Dont worry about the surgery; you'll be asleep! And then you'll get better. I hope we can help.

foxhd

Footstomper said:

scared

We all are and strangely lonely because no one knows how to react so we have to swim these uncharted waters alone. try not to worry. You're right you are far better of having your lump removed while its still a tiddler, for comparison mine was 10cm and gruwing up the vein, and I'm still hear 2 1/2 years later. Dont worry about the surgery; you'll be asleep! And then you'll get better. I hope we can help.

If you

have chosen your surgeon, then give him the green light to do what will be necessary. Go to the hospital and observe the health care machine. Do what you are told. Let the professionals handle things for a while. That is what they are for. If you can do this then there is nothing to prepare for. Spend your pre-op time getting things in order at home. Extra shopping, pre cooked meals, empty laundry baskets, maybe pay your bills a little early. These things you have control of. After surgery you will need a little time to recover. You will be fine. Don't even think for a moment that you won't.

cakelady

Right there with you...

John is having a RN next week.  The tumor is 10cm, and because it's at the top, and they 'know' it's in the lymph nodes, they are taking the kidney, nodes, adrenal, and have liver and intestine people on standby in case they need to resect part of the liver or remove some intestine.

It's always a slog, but it's doable.

Take your medicine, both figurative and literal, get it over with and keep us updated!!  

I'm pretty new here, so I don't have all the info these good people do, but I know where you're coming from, and I've got two good ears!

Much luck and love!

lcsvb

Kidney Tumor by Renal Vein also

I am unfortunately now a member of the kidney tumor crew. I also have a 2-3cm tumor near my renal vein that was diagnosed in November. The urologist I saw thought he could not access it as a partial robotic procedure, and thought even open he might need to do a full nephrectomy.  What I loved about this guy is he then suggested I go to the "big guns" at Moffitt in Tampa (90 min drive) and see if their greater experience may better my chances of saving it. So, I saw someone there who was confident a partial could be done, but he preferred open due to the location.  He then offered to run the scan by his cowrokers who are more robotic experienced. Result is that one of them is confident he can do it robotic and partial, and if not, will switch to open.  So, I am thrilled that these Doctors are so willing to put my best interests as their priority! I go in for surgery Jan 20th. I am 53, non-smoker in decent shape and found on an unrelated CT scan thankfully while it is small. Praying it falls in the benign category which is a possibility! Scary stuff.

lal_njl

lcsvb said:

Kidney Tumor by Renal Vein also

I am unfortunately now a member of the kidney tumor crew. I also have a 2-3cm tumor near my renal vein that was diagnosed in November. The urologist I saw thought he could not access it as a partial robotic procedure, and thought even open he might need to do a full nephrectomy.  What I loved about this guy is he then suggested I go to the "big guns" at Moffitt in Tampa (90 min drive) and see if their greater experience may better my chances of saving it. So, I saw someone there who was confident a partial could be done, but he preferred open due to the location.  He then offered to run the scan by his cowrokers who are more robotic experienced. Result is that one of them is confident he can do it robotic and partial, and if not, will switch to open.  So, I am thrilled that these Doctors are so willing to put my best interests as their priority! I go in for surgery Jan 20th. I am 53, non-smoker in decent shape and found on an unrelated CT scan thankfully while it is small. Praying it falls in the benign category which is a possibility! Scary stuff.

Thanks for the reply!

Well we will be pretty much on the same surgery and recovery time, we will have to share updates! 

The location is the reason for my open as well.  I hope they are able to only do a partial, fingers crossed, but I leave it in their hands once they get me on the table.

My prayers will be with you for your surgery and recovery!

Kaleena

Although I do not have kidney

Although I do not have kidney cancer, (endometrial adenocarcinoma), I did end up  having issues with my left ureter (hydrouretonephrosis).   As a result, I just had a ureter re-implantation surgery done (its where they cut the ureter by the blockage and reimplant it in the bladder).   It was to be done robotically.  However, right before I went under anesthesia, they were unable to perform it laparoscopy because of my previous surgeries, etc., and they couldn't proceed through my mesh.  So I had an incision made.   My ureter, however, was attached by scar tissue and it ended up being a 5 hour surgery instead of a 2-3 hour surgery.   Part of my ureter was attached to the renal vein and the rest to some of my intestines so it took a long time to free up my ureter. 

Everything did work out.   It will be 5 weeks tomorrow.    I was only in the hospital for 3 days.  I did go home with a Foley catheter.   

I am 55 now.   I was 45 when I was first diagnosed.  

My best to you,

Kathy