Surgery scheduled

I had the robotic partial in June, 2016 and while I wouldn't call any operation a piece of cake (no offense APny), it was far easier than I expected and far, FAR easier than abdominal operations I have had to endure.  In fact, the only thing I remember from the time I was sedated was being wheeled into the operating room, seeing the robot and saying (hopefully not out loud), "That looks f'ing cool!"  LOL.

n all seriousness, however, here's how my procedure went down.  I checked into the hospital around noon on June 22nd.  They did all the prep work by about 1PM and then it was just a matter of waiting for the OR to open up from the previous operation.  They happened at 3PM.  My wife tells me the procedure took 3 hours from when they wheeled me in to the time I was in recovery.  I was in my room at around 7:30 or so and the first thing I heard was my niece screaming in my ear to wake up, which I did.  The nurse got me out of bed almost immediately, which I was aware they would do.  Everyone left and I got to sleep around 9.  I was awake at 6 the next morning and ate breakfast with no issues, and drank water with no issues.  The surgical team (minus the surgeon) came in around 8 and said that as long as I could pee and my pain was under control, I could go home.  I asked if I could walk, as that had helped me in my previous operations, and they encouraged it.  I walked off and on from about 9 to 11, the first time with the nurse and then she got tired of me, so I walked alone until the family arrived.  I had a little pulling in the incision areas, but no pain to speak of.  I peed around 10.  The surgeon came in around 12 and said everything went fine and I was free to leave.  Getting the IV and the drain out took until about 1:30 and I went home at that point.  So, from admission to discharge, it was 25-1/2 hours.

For reference, my lesion was on the right kidney and turned out to be about 1.7 or 1.8cm in size.

Best wishes for a very boring and uneventful surgery and a quick recovery.

I’m having an open patial on my right kidney on the 26th.   Good luck on yours!!!

I’ve had a radical nephrectomy In October ! Hard at times but getting there ! Sending love and positive vibes

Hi, Cindy.  My tumor was in the lower pole of my right kidney.  When I Iooked at my CT it sure appeared to be growing out of my kidney.  I was concerned with it, but my doctor assured me that it appeared to be still contained.  Pathology confirmed it--which was a huge relief.  I'm wishing you luck and sending you prayers of strength.  Keep us updated.

Stub

I think since you are so active now you will recovery fairly soon.  I was off work 6 weeks from my desk job, nursing informatics, and I waited about 10 weeks before I started working my OPT job in the ER as an RN.  Just go at your own pace and don't try and push it too soon or too quickly.  The first 48 hours post-op wasn't too bad, but day 3 sucked, but every day after that got a little better.  I stayed inpatient 2 nights, then 4 nights in a hotel, and then on post-op day 6 I flew home, alone. 

The worst part for me was that CO2 they use to fill your abd with.  Around day 4 I could feel sub q air around my ribs and near my right scapula.  I called the doctor and he said that having slight sub q air was not uncommon and since I wasn't shob or hurting more than before just to keep an eye on it. 

I was on IV pain meds during my hospital stay and then I was sent home with Norco.  I think I took the norco for the first two or three days around the clock and then I only used them at night after that.

Good luck and hang in there! 

I was told not to take Ibuprofen so now if I need it for a headache or something I take Tylenol. Otherwise I eat mostly seafood and veggies with chicken now and then. Red meat very rarely. But that's how I ate before too so that's not due to the kidney. I wasn't told to avoid anything or to restrict my diet. Just watch salt intake since that can stress the kidneys.

I had a robotic lap October 2012.  I'm your age as well and had a pretty physical job in a hospital before I retired.  I was a hyperbaric tech at the time, which involved a lot of pushing & pulling patients in & out of chambers as well as cleaning the chambers in between patients by either laying in a prone position and wiping the inside down or using a mop type of thing with an extension to go around in circles with.  Needless to say, my coworkers took on those responsibilities for many weeks after my surgery and I did the majority of all the non-physical labor.  It's just one of those things you have to allow your body the time to recover and it takes time.  If you're like me, I was one heck of an impatient patient.  I tended to think, oh this is no biggy, especially when the incisions healed up so fast, but hey takes a lot longer on the inside.....but you know that.  Be kind to yourself.  You won't want to run for a bit and you won't want those fur babies to be pulling at you, or jumping at you.  Proceed slowly and listen to your body.

Donna~

Cindy T in Washington said:

Thank you

Thank you all so much.   I am really trying to stay cool and calm.  There is always the little voice in the back of your mind that troubles me.  I haven't shared this with many people....  Is there anyway they can remove some of the CO2 when they complete the surgery?   Also, are there any major food restrictions that you must adhere to?  I have been reading up on kidney friendly foods, and also food that should be avoided if you have kidney issues.  Also medications..... almost all of the meds I take make reference that they can cause problems with the kidneys...  Recommendations?  Thanks again.

Hi, diet and medication will depend on your remaining kidney function.   I have only lost 10% of a kidney which every medical professional i asked said was inconsequential.  Most have said one good kidney will not even affect any diet or meds.  The caveat is that if you have only one kidney you do need to look after it a little better and if you are suseptible to kidney stones you may want to make sure you modify your diet and fluid intake to avoid them,  if renal colic is severe and prolonged or the kidney is blocked from draining. 

After your operation depending on how much kidney was removed you may want to consult specifically with a urologist that is aware of your full lists of meds and ensure that none are inconsistent with your remaining renal sufficiency.