Nephrectomy is a process that entails the surgical removal of a kidney. This procedure is performed to treat kidney cancer, other kidney diseases or injuries and even to remove a healthy kidney from the body of a living or deceased donor for the purpose of transplantation.

The most common reason for performing a nephrectomy is for the treatment of kidney cancer or for the removal of a seriously damaged or diseased kidney.

Laparoscopic Nephrectomy is a minimally invasive procedure performed through a series of small incisions made in the appropriate areas of the abdomen. A wand-like device that is equipped with video cameras and small surgical tools is inserted into the incisions and the required procedure is performed. In case the entire kidney needs to be removed, a slightly larger opening is created. This surgery is popularly known as keyhole surgery.

Most often, this process is performed to remove cancerous tumors or abnormal tissue growth in the kidney. Renal cell carcinoma is the most common kidney cancer in adults whereas kidney tumors are children are very rare. But when they do occur, most children develop a type of kidney cancer called the Wilms’ tumor, caused due to the poor development of kidney cells.