Recent CT scan shows 5.2 cm mass on right kidney

BellaBinksMom said:

Not impressed

I went to see the surgeon in San Francisco on Monday and came away very disappointed.

 

Background - My Santa Rosa Urologist showed me and my husband my CT scan.  We could see the kidney, where the tumor was sitting and its shape.  Along with the confirmation of 2 radiologists, we could see the tumor is spherical in shape and sits towards the top of the right kidney, abutting the liver.

I went to the office of the surgeon in San Francisco which, can I just say, looked like a cattle call for men with prostate issues.  There were about 10 men sitting in the waiting room which was so small, every time the door opened, someone got a back full of door knob.  The office staff was very rude - handed you a cup and told you to go down the public hall and pee in it, then carry it back through said hall and into the waiting room to deliver it to them.  Not a good first impression.

Surgeon comes in, talks a bit and then takes the CT scan disk I have brought and goes to look at it.  Comes back in and proceeds to draw a diagram of my tumor - he says it is elongated from the mid-kidney to the top of the kidney and deeply embedded in the kidney.  Bottom line, he doesn't think he can save the kidney - will have to be a full nephrectomy.  Wait, what???  This is in direct conflict with my Urologist (29 years experience) and 2 radiologists.  AND, he wants to do the nephrectomy in an AMBULATORY facility which he just happens to be a partial owner of.  So, you want to take my whole kidney AND send me home the same day?

My husband and I literally ran out the door while telling him absolutely not.  What is wrong with this picture???  I am now awaiting a referral for a 3rd opinion.  Ugh.  Thanks for listening/reading.

speaking not as the patient but as the spouse, my husband's tumor was 10 cm upper pole of the kidney and the surgeon and oncologist work together. The practice is genounitary so there are prostate patients there and both doctors do both.

before the surger, we were told that it would be done laproscopically but that it might need to be open if facts warranted.

it is only when the surgery is done that the procedure used can be known and as has been said, surgeons are not known for their bedside manner.

i know that you are frightened and would prefer a partial but what if there is some overlap with the liver? Don't you want all of it out? Partials, as many here can tell you, are not necessarily a walk in the park.

i think my point is get as many opinions as you need but let the experts do their work. As an aside, 22 years ago, I was dx with breast cancer and initially wanted a lumpectomy but as things went, I ended up with a double mastectomy and have never looked back. My husband called it a "sacrifice to the gods". I was in my 30's. 22 years have allowed me to see my sons grow up, get married and have my grandchildren.?

hope this helps you and by the way, my husband did have laproscopic and his recovery was fairly uneventfu. It has been 13 months and so far, he's doing well with no further progression.

Sarah

Srashedb said:

Just a thought

speaking not as the patient but as the spouse, my husband's tumor was 10 cm upper pole of the kidney and the surgeon and oncologist work together. The practice is genounitary so there are prostate patients there and both doctors do both.

before the surger, we were told that it would be done laproscopically but that it might need to be open if facts warranted.

it is only when the surgery is done that the procedure used can be known and as has been said, surgeons are not known for their bedside manner.

i know that you are frightened and would prefer a partial but what if there is some overlap with the liver? Don't you want all of it out? Partials, as many here can tell you, are not necessarily a walk in the park.

i think my point is get as many opinions as you need but let the experts do their work. As an aside, 22 years ago, I was dx with breast cancer and initially wanted a lumpectomy but as things went, I ended up with a double mastectomy and have never looked back. My husband called it a "sacrifice to the gods". I was in my 30's. 22 years have allowed me to see my sons grow up, get married and have my grandchildren.?

hope this helps you and by the way, my husband did have laproscopic and his recovery was fairly uneventfu. It has been 13 months and so far, he's doing well with no further progression.

Sarah

If they can’t do a partial laproscopically, why not consider an open one? My partial was open. I have a single four inch incisision (smaller than some lap ones) and recovered quickly. I was up and walking the same day of the surgery and out of the hospital in two days. So if there’s no one who wants to attempt it laproscopically but an open version is possible, I would go with the open partial rather than a full lap. It all depends on the tumor location and its involvement with other areas. And yes, I did sign a consent form that the partial may have to convert to a full during surgery. That's always a possiblity.

Srashedb said:

Ok, then

since you used quotation marks, you were responding to me. I am sorry that you are going through this and wish you the best.

that being said, my comm were made to help you and if they didn't, then so be it. But, please, don't take your anger out on me.

Sarah

Nobody meant to offend.

Icemantoo

BellaBinksMom said:

Subjective

Sarah - Everyone's post/opinion is subjective.  My response is not one of anger and if it appears that way, it is simply my writing style.  I don't want you to think I am ungrateful for help here, or that I am discounting the expert opinions I have received.  I have been through this before and back then, I simply took all expert opinions as truth when the reality is that a doctor will recommend treatment based on what he specializes in.  I thank God I found my current Urologist because that is not his style - he could have told me I needed a full nephrectomy and we would have gone with it.  Instead, he admitted his shortcoming and recommended I seek out someone who could do a partial.  In the grand scheme of things here, I will do what I have to do to make sure I am cancer free because, yes, I want to take every opportunity to make sure this surgery removes all of the tumor.  

 

it's all good; confidence in your doctor is important and I wish you the best of luck. Please keep posting 

Sarah