Postoperative care for radical nephrectomy

Written by Zeng Zhong
Urology
Updated on June 19, 2025
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Postoperative care after radical nephrectomy for kidney cancer is crucial. While the patient is still unconscious from general anesthesia, comprehensive monitoring is essential, with close observation of vital signs including blood pressure, pulse, and respiration. Patients recovering from kidney cancer surgery are extremely vulnerable; thus, it is essential to scientifically and reasonably plan their diet based on their actual condition and physical constitution. A reasonable diet should be formulated, with no food allowed for 48 hours post-surgery. During the period when a gastric tube is in place, intravenous nutrition should be provided. Every activity post-surgery significantly impacts the recovery of the patient's condition, especially the first urination after surgery. Observing the timing and volume of urination is a crucial factor in determining the patient's condition.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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Can renal cancer be detected by ultrasound?

Ultrasound is a type of imaging examination that can observe the size, shape, structure, texture, and the presence of masses in the organs being examined. It can be used to determine if a patient potentially has kidney-related masses, such as differentiating between a kidney cyst and kidney cancer based on differences in shape and blood supply that malignant tumors typically exhibit compared to other conditions. However, using ultrasound to diagnose kidney cancer can be inaccurate, particularly in the early stages of the disease when ultrasound may not provide a clear view, and some complex cases of kidney cancer may still be indeterminate. Therefore, patients might consider undergoing an enhanced CT scan, which offers a higher diagnostic accuracy. Additionally, a kidney biopsy and pathological examination might be necessary for a definitive diagnosis.

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Written by Zeng Zhong
Urology
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Is the recurrence rate of kidney cancer high?

Kidney cancer is associated with a certain recurrence rate. If a patient undergoes partial nephrectomy for kidney cancer, it is crucial to schedule regular follow-ups at the hospital to monitor the renal pelvis and check if the cancer has recurred. If the patient has undergone radical nephrectomy, where the affected kidney is entirely removed, it is important to regularly observe the surrounding tissues and distant organ tissues for any signs of tumor metastasis.

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Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
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What are the early symptoms of kidney cancer?

Kidney cancer is a common malignant tumor in the urinary system. Many patients with early-stage kidney cancer do not show any symptoms clinically and are incidentally discovered during medical examinations. Many patients in the early stages may also present with painless hematuria, sometimes as gross hematuria and sometimes as microscopic hematuria. Some patients may experience pain in the kidney area due to blood clots formed after hematuria, mainly presenting as intermittent episodes of mild back pain. Additionally, some patients in the early stages might show symptoms of paraneoplastic syndrome, such as hypertension and fever, but these clinical symptoms generally occur at a very low frequency. When patients present with obvious clinical symptoms, it often indicates that the kidney cancer has metastasized, leading to a clinical presentation of mid-to-late stage kidney cancer.

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Written by Zeng Zhong
Urology
53sec home-news-image

Postoperative care for radical nephrectomy

Postoperative care after radical nephrectomy for kidney cancer is crucial. While the patient is still unconscious from general anesthesia, comprehensive monitoring is essential, with close observation of vital signs including blood pressure, pulse, and respiration. Patients recovering from kidney cancer surgery are extremely vulnerable; thus, it is essential to scientifically and reasonably plan their diet based on their actual condition and physical constitution. A reasonable diet should be formulated, with no food allowed for 48 hours post-surgery. During the period when a gastric tube is in place, intravenous nutrition should be provided. Every activity post-surgery significantly impacts the recovery of the patient's condition, especially the first urination after surgery. Observing the timing and volume of urination is a crucial factor in determining the patient's condition.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
45sec home-news-image

Is kidney cancer contagious?

Kidney cancer is not contagious; most kidney cancers originate from malignant tumors caused by renal tubular epithelial cells. The clinical symptoms of this type of kidney cancer mainly include hematuria and abdominal masses, which may also affect kidney function. Kidney cancer is mostly not associated with any pathogens, such as bacteria or viruses, hence there are no infectious causes for kidney cancer. Currently, the medical community does not have a clear understanding of the causes, which may be related to unhealthy lifestyle habits such as smoking, as well as genetic factors, obesity, hypertension, heavy metal poisoning, and other reasons. Since there are no pathogens involved, there is no contagion.