New

tpstadler
tpstadler Member Posts: 11
in Kidney Cancer #1

I just have been told that my MRI has shown a tumor on lower lobe of right kidney. Urologist want take the tumor out in one month. What is involved? What should I expect?

Comments

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    edited May 2016 #2
    Welcome

    tpstadler,

     

    Welcome to the club which no one in their right mind would volunteer to join. They took my tumor and kidney out almost 14 years ago. Not fun but it beats the alternative. In order to more fully answer your question could you help us with your diagnosis. How old are you? How big is your tumor? Are they taking all or part of your kidney out. Are they doing it laproscopically? Once we have these answers we can try and more specifically answer your questions.

     

    Icemantoo 

  • jason.2835
    jason.2835 Member Posts: 337 Member
    edited May 2016 #3
    WHat to Expect

    tpstadler,

    There are a lot of ins and outs to the situation.  Your age, the size of the tumor, the expertise of the surgeon are all BIG factors into what is going to happen.  I am sure your most pressing concern is the surgery yourself.  So I'll speak to some of that.

    There are 2 general styles to the surgery.  One is called "open" and it involves making a large incision in your abdomen or side so that the surgeon can get his/her hands inside of you to surgically remove the tumor.  Some older surgeons prefer this method because they lack training on the newer methods.  If this sounds scary to you, it is.  Depending on your situation, though, you may not have a choice.  The recovery and pain from an open surgery is MUCH worse.  I had an open surgery for a gallbladder removal and the pain for a couple weeks was hell.

    Method 2 is laparoscopic.  This involves the surgeon placing metal rods into much small incisions and using tools on the ends to remove the tumor.  A growing subsection of this is the robotic surgery, which is becoming more common.  This is what I had.  It is the least invasive form of surgery and pain-wise the recovery was much easier.  I was back to work in 4 weeks.  (For the record, I was back to work in 4 weeks after the gallbladder surgery, too, even though I probably shouldn't have been haha)  

    The outcomes are usually the SAME with both surgeries, however.  Choosing one over the other will not mean you have a greater or lesser chance of recurrence but definitely go with whatever you are comfortable with.  If you are dealing with a doctor who has a ton of experience doing open surgery then go with that.  BUT if you have the option to talk to a surgeon with a lot of experience in minimally invasive techniques, do yourself a favor and look into it.  

    The main thing is... It is important to get it OUT so make sure you do so.

    - Jay

  • Jan4you
    Jan4you Member Posts: 1,330 Member
    #4
    Glad you found us. Will be

    Glad you found us. Will be here for you, along side you to support and answer any questions. Ok hon?

    Find out if your surgeon (Urologist) is trained in robatic/laproscopic surgery. Less  invasive, easier recovery.

    All abominal surgeries include pumping up the abdomen with this gas so that they can SEE around the organs.However, this gas can get trapped, like inside your shoulder. That is to be expected, but it hurts. I would movemy arm around in a circle to try and move it along.

    I also used a lumbar, velcro wrap used to support bad backs. It supported my aching abdomen and helped me getup from chair or bed. I also placed dry ice inside it along side the incisions and it reduced the swelling and painmore quickly than pain pills did.

    There are partial or radical surgeries. Partial includes just removing the tumor and surround tissues for Pathology report.Radical is used if the removal of tumor is tricky. For example, my tumor, though stage I, was in a precarious place nearthe blood supply. So I had whole kidney removed and the cancerous tumor went with it.

    I have had two laproscopic/robatic surgeries and did well. First week is tricky so I wore that lumbar  wrap all the time,even when I went to bed.

    You cannot exericse for at least 30 days. Returning to work  cannot be rushed. Listen to your surgeon. Even when you startto feel better, you cannot rush your recovery as your insides need to heal.  You don't want hernias or ruptures. Walking isencouraged.

    I was slightly anemic following surgery (typical) so I took  OTC Slow Fe which doesn't  constipate you and you start tofeel much better with richer blood now.

    We're here ...ask away.. we understand and will support you!

    Hugs, Jan

  • APny
    APny Member Posts: 1,995 Member
    edited May 2016 #5
     

     

    “One is called "open" and it involves making a large incision in your abdomen or side so that the surgeon can get his/her hands inside of you to surgically remove the tumor.”

     

    With all respect, not necessarily true. I had an open partial and my incision is under four inches and now two years later hardly visible. And I only have one incision, instead of 5 – 6 that laparoscopic requires. Fewer incisions, fewer chance of infection. I had surgery Monday morning and was out of the hospital Wednesday afternoon. Recovery was very unremarkable and pain very manageable.

    Whether you have open or not will depend on size, location, and logistics, not necessarily just the surgeon's experience and knowledge. If lap/robotic is feasible for you, great. If not, it’s not a big deal. I would consider mine very comparable to others' experiences who had lap/robotic. Best of luck to you!

     

  • tpstadler
    tpstadler Member Posts: 11
    #6
    Jan4you said:

    Glad you found us. Will be

    Glad you found us. Will be here for you, along side you to support and answer any questions. Ok hon?

    Find out if your surgeon (Urologist) is trained in robatic/laproscopic surgery. Less  invasive, easier recovery.

    All abominal surgeries include pumping up the abdomen with this gas so that they can SEE around the organs.However, this gas can get trapped, like inside your shoulder. That is to be expected, but it hurts. I would movemy arm around in a circle to try and move it along.

    I also used a lumbar, velcro wrap used to support bad backs. It supported my aching abdomen and helped me getup from chair or bed. I also placed dry ice inside it along side the incisions and it reduced the swelling and painmore quickly than pain pills did.

    There are partial or radical surgeries. Partial includes just removing the tumor and surround tissues for Pathology report.Radical is used if the removal of tumor is tricky. For example, my tumor, though stage I, was in a precarious place nearthe blood supply. So I had whole kidney removed and the cancerous tumor went with it.

    I have had two laproscopic/robatic surgeries and did well. First week is tricky so I wore that lumbar  wrap all the time,even when I went to bed.

    You cannot exericse for at least 30 days. Returning to work  cannot be rushed. Listen to your surgeon. Even when you startto feel better, you cannot rush your recovery as your insides need to heal.  You don't want hernias or ruptures. Walking isencouraged.

    I was slightly anemic following surgery (typical) so I took  OTC Slow Fe which doesn't  constipate you and you start tofeel much better with richer blood now.

    We're here ...ask away.. we understand and will support you!

    Hugs, Jan

    New

    thank you

  • tpstadler
    tpstadler Member Posts: 11
    #7
    jason.2835 said:

    WHat to Expect

    tpstadler,

    There are a lot of ins and outs to the situation.  Your age, the size of the tumor, the expertise of the surgeon are all BIG factors into what is going to happen.  I am sure your most pressing concern is the surgery yourself.  So I'll speak to some of that.

    There are 2 general styles to the surgery.  One is called "open" and it involves making a large incision in your abdomen or side so that the surgeon can get his/her hands inside of you to surgically remove the tumor.  Some older surgeons prefer this method because they lack training on the newer methods.  If this sounds scary to you, it is.  Depending on your situation, though, you may not have a choice.  The recovery and pain from an open surgery is MUCH worse.  I had an open surgery for a gallbladder removal and the pain for a couple weeks was hell.

    Method 2 is laparoscopic.  This involves the surgeon placing metal rods into much small incisions and using tools on the ends to remove the tumor.  A growing subsection of this is the robotic surgery, which is becoming more common.  This is what I had.  It is the least invasive form of surgery and pain-wise the recovery was much easier.  I was back to work in 4 weeks.  (For the record, I was back to work in 4 weeks after the gallbladder surgery, too, even though I probably shouldn't have been haha)  

    The outcomes are usually the SAME with both surgeries, however.  Choosing one over the other will not mean you have a greater or lesser chance of recurrence but definitely go with whatever you are comfortable with.  If you are dealing with a doctor who has a ton of experience doing open surgery then go with that.  BUT if you have the option to talk to a surgeon with a lot of experience in minimally invasive techniques, do yourself a favor and look into it.  

    The main thing is... It is important to get it OUT so make sure you do so.

    - Jay

    New

    Thank you

  • tpstadler
    tpstadler Member Posts: 11
    #8
    Footstomper said:

    Welcome

    Sorry to meet you here. You dont give us a lot to go on, but there a couple of things I think I can say with some certainty.

    1/ Your ovewhelming feeling at this time may well be fear. The word Cancer does that! Whatever happens its never as bad as our imagination makes it. So  try to relax.

    2/ DONT SURF THE NET! Most the information is out of date or seriously lacking in sanity, and can be seriously scarey. Cancer, while serious is not the death sentence it used to be, scientific developments are turning it from a terminal disease to a chronic disease. If its small enough they can whip it out and youre done

    Good luck. Keep in touch

    New

    thank you

  • tpstadler
    tpstadler Member Posts: 11
    #9
    icemantoo said:

    Welcome

    tpstadler,

     

    Welcome to the club which no one in their right mind would volunteer to join. They took my tumor and kidney out almost 14 years ago. Not fun but it beats the alternative. In order to more fully answer your question could you help us with your diagnosis. How old are you? How big is your tumor? Are they taking all or part of your kidney out. Are they doing it laproscopically? Once we have these answers we can try and more specifically answer your questions.

     

    Icemantoo 

    New

    thank you

  • mrou50
    mrou50 Member Posts: 389 Member
    #10
    Sorry

    Sorry you had to join.  What kind of surgery is the doctor suggesting? There are different kinds, I had an open full nephrectomy which means they took my kidney out, but it was shot from the two tumors I had anyway.  Recovery took a few months, the questions, and frustrations took much longer.  Try to get full details from your doctor and as Footstomper said stay away from the web and all of the treatments that you will hear about.  

  • Footstomper
    Footstomper Member Posts: 1,237 Member
    edited May 2016 #11
    jason.2835 said:

    WHat to Expect

    tpstadler,

    There are a lot of ins and outs to the situation.  Your age, the size of the tumor, the expertise of the surgeon are all BIG factors into what is going to happen.  I am sure your most pressing concern is the surgery yourself.  So I'll speak to some of that.

    There are 2 general styles to the surgery.  One is called "open" and it involves making a large incision in your abdomen or side so that the surgeon can get his/her hands inside of you to surgically remove the tumor.  Some older surgeons prefer this method because they lack training on the newer methods.  If this sounds scary to you, it is.  Depending on your situation, though, you may not have a choice.  The recovery and pain from an open surgery is MUCH worse.  I had an open surgery for a gallbladder removal and the pain for a couple weeks was hell.

    Method 2 is laparoscopic.  This involves the surgeon placing metal rods into much small incisions and using tools on the ends to remove the tumor.  A growing subsection of this is the robotic surgery, which is becoming more common.  This is what I had.  It is the least invasive form of surgery and pain-wise the recovery was much easier.  I was back to work in 4 weeks.  (For the record, I was back to work in 4 weeks after the gallbladder surgery, too, even though I probably shouldn't have been haha)  

    The outcomes are usually the SAME with both surgeries, however.  Choosing one over the other will not mean you have a greater or lesser chance of recurrence but definitely go with whatever you are comfortable with.  If you are dealing with a doctor who has a ton of experience doing open surgery then go with that.  BUT if you have the option to talk to a surgeon with a lot of experience in minimally invasive techniques, do yourself a favor and look into it.  

    The main thing is... It is important to get it OUT so make sure you do so.

    - Jay

    I had a full kidney removal

    Its big surgery, but it aint so bad. Yes it hurts for a week or so afterwards but, and I  hate to contradict anyone, but it aint as scarey as the word Cancer. If thats what you need to do it, do it. Youre in the hands of professionals

  • todd121
    todd121 Member Posts: 1,448 Member
    #12
    APny said:

     

     

    “One is called "open" and it involves making a large incision in your abdomen or side so that the surgeon can get his/her hands inside of you to surgically remove the tumor.”

     

    With all respect, not necessarily true. I had an open partial and my incision is under four inches and now two years later hardly visible. And I only have one incision, instead of 5 – 6 that laparoscopic requires. Fewer incisions, fewer chance of infection. I had surgery Monday morning and was out of the hospital Wednesday afternoon. Recovery was very unremarkable and pain very manageable.

    Whether you have open or not will depend on size, location, and logistics, not necessarily just the surgeon's experience and knowledge. If lap/robotic is feasible for you, great. If not, it’s not a big deal. I would consider mine very comparable to others' experiences who had lap/robotic. Best of luck to you!

     

    Laparoscopy

    And I had a laparoscopy and I ended up with 4-5 incisions and one of them was 6" (they needed to get the kidney out whole)...

    Generally speaking, though, an open radical is a much larger scar, whereas a laparascopy partial you end up with several smaller ones.

    Todd

    P.S. Thanks to my laparascopic adrenalectomy a year later, plus an appendectomy and a hernia repair, I have 14 lovely scars on my right side. :) 12 of them thanks to the 2 laparascopic surgeries. So when they tell you laparascopy is better from a scar point of view, that's a bunch of BS. It's a tradeoff. Instead of one long(ish) one, you end up with 4-6 small 1" ones scattered all over the damn place.

  • tpstadler
    tpstadler Member Posts: 11
    #13
    mrou50 said:

    Sorry

    Sorry you had to join.  What kind of surgery is the doctor suggesting? There are different kinds, I had an open full nephrectomy which means they took my kidney out, but it was shot from the two tumors I had anyway.  Recovery took a few months, the questions, and frustrations took much longer.  Try to get full details from your doctor and as Footstomper said stay away from the web and all of the treatments that you will hear about.  

    New

    thank you....open

  • tpstadler
    tpstadler Member Posts: 11
    edited May 2016 #14
    todd121 said:

    Laparoscopy

    And I had a laparoscopy and I ended up with 4-5 incisions and one of them was 6" (they needed to get the kidney out whole)...

    Generally speaking, though, an open radical is a much larger scar, whereas a laparascopy partial you end up with several smaller ones.

    Todd

    P.S. Thanks to my laparascopic adrenalectomy a year later, plus an appendectomy and a hernia repair, I have 14 lovely scars on my right side. :) 12 of them thanks to the 2 laparascopic surgeries. So when they tell you laparascopy is better from a scar point of view, that's a bunch of BS. It's a tradeoff. Instead of one long(ish) one, you end up with 4-6 small 1" ones scattered all over the damn place.

    New

    thank you for your response 

  • Footstomper
    Footstomper Member Posts: 1,237 Member
    #15
    tpstadler said:

    New

    thank you....open

    Disappointment

    I also had the full open surgery and yes, it took a while to recover. My only disappointment was that they had stapled me back together rather than using sutures to give that full on Frankenstein look.

    Still, I'm alive 3 years later so mustnt grumble

  • Footstomper
    Footstomper Member Posts: 1,237 Member
    #16
    Welcome

    Sorry to meet you here. You dont give us a lot to go on, but there a couple of things I think I can say with some certainty.

    1/ Your ovewhelming feeling at this time may well be fear. The word Cancer does that! Whatever happens its never as bad as our imagination makes it. So  try to relax.

    2/ DONT SURF THE NET! Most the information is out of date or seriously lacking in sanity, and can be seriously scarey. Cancer, while serious is not the death sentence it used to be, scientific developments are turning it from a terminal disease to a chronic disease. If its small enough they can whip it out and youre done

    Good luck. Keep in touch

Discussion Boards