Having a kidney removed...

[GrownUp2012]

Can people talk to me about their experience regards having a kidney removed?

It has been suggested today as a potential course of action should function tests show reduced function below 25% in my right kidney, which is about half the normal size and causing pain and recurrent infections over the past five years or so.

I am particularly interested in your recovery times as I am a lone parent and will need to organise care for my children and take into account what my ability will be to look after myself following the procedure.

Hi Grownup, I had an open nephrectomy in 2009. I had a kidney and pancreas transplant in 2007 but one of my native kidneys (which they leave in) really started playing up with infections, hydronephrosis etc. I understand though that this operation is normally carried out laparascopically (keyhole). I just couldn't have that because of the complications of having 2 extra organs inside me! I was in hospital for exactly a week but I probably would have been allowed home sooner I just had some complications after because of my transplants. I went back to work 12 weeks after the operation. Had it been lap surgery I would have apparently been back to work 6 weeks after. I was in quite a bit of pain straight after the op but I refused an epidural for pain relief (long story!) which they usually leave in for a couple of days. Within a few weeks I was able to go for a little walk etc. I would definitely have thought though that if you are having the keyhole surgery you will recover much quicker. For your information - keyhole is the way that they remove kidneys for people who are donating an organ and those people are usually moving around pretty quickly from what I have seen! I know nephrectomies are often performed in the case of kidney cancer and obviously donation so maybe try and look on some kind of forum to get more info regarding recovery times etc. Good luck with the operation! I was having continuous infections for a couple of years despite being on long term antibiotics but since my nephrectomy 3 years ago I have only had a couple so it is well worth it :)

Thank you very much clucky. That's a very good idea.

My DH had a partial nephrectomy done laparascopically last week (due to tumour). He was in for 3 days, still a bit uncomfortable and exhausted.

Sorry I'm on my phone so can't see how old your DC is - you wouldn't be able to pick up a toddler but if at school you would need help getting them there for a while and sleep lots in the day.

DH has been surprised that it was less painful than expected, but he wasn't prepared for the ongoing exhaustion (and is being a bad patient!)

Hi Grownup. I had a keyhole nephrectomy to be a living donor for DH who needed a transplant. At the time of our surgery our DD was 15 months old and DS was 4. I was in hospital for 5 days and then rested completely (No DC's as I could not yet travel home) for a further 10 days. I was then back with the DC but on my own as DH was still recovering.

I could not have done it without huge support from my parents and help from MIL. I was tired tired tired and that continued for six weeks or so. I was driving after a month and back to work after 2 months. I work p/t while DD is at nursery. After 3-4 weeks of recovery I was on my own with DC and we coped. I could not pick up DD but I sat on the floor with her a lot and she learned to climb into her car seat by herself. This was all 18 months ago and we are now all doing just fine.

I was healthy going into surgery which helps.

For us the recovery times were as fast as the doctors estimated but some people get complications. Thankfully for us the transplant was a success and DH is now back to his old self and no dialysis needed

Suggest that you organise care for DC's for at least a month if you can.

Good luck.

Thank you very much. I was looking at 3-4 weeks post-op recovery, your post confirms that I'll need at least that. That's going to be tough with my DD as she has some behavioural issues that make her a hard work house guest, so I guess the sooner I broach the subject with family, the better. I have at least six months to put something in place thankfully.