For some patients with kidney cancer or a benign kidney conditions, removing the whole kidney may be necessary. This is called Nephrectomy, if done for cancer it is called Radical Nephrectomy. This minimally-invasive procedure offers patients many of the same advantages as any other robotic surgery.
In this procedure the whole kidney is mobilised, the blood supply is clipped, the ureter is clipped and the whole kidney with its surrounding structures is removed.
Robotic radical nephrectomy becomes especially advantages in complex situations such as large tumours, proximity to large vessels, need to remove lymphnodes as well etc.