How Long Will I Have Continued Pain and Urinary Urgency After Kidney Stone Removal
Medically Reviewed By William C. Lloyd III, MD, FACS
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Your kidney removal surgery has been scheduled. You may already have undergone your presurgical tests. But what kind of preparations do you need to make for after the surgery? What are you likely to experience during your kidney removal recovery, both in the hospital and once you are back home?
Recovery immediately after nephrectomy
After kidney removal surgery, you will wake up in a recovery area. You will probably have a catheter to drain your urine; it will likely be removed the next day. You also may have a nasal cannula placed under your nostrils to provide oxygen.
Your surgeon may have injected a long-lasting pain-relieving medication at the surgery area to alleviate pain and discomfort for at least the first day. If you do have pain, let your care team know; they can manage your pain with additional pain relief medication. If you had a laparoscopic surgery (with or without robotics), you will have several small incisions, typically in your abdomen or sometimes on your back. If you had traditional open surgery you'll have a 3 to 4 inch incision on your side, which requires more wound recovery.
In the first hours after the surgery, your health team will have you up and walking around as soon as possible. Your goal is to walk every two hours to prevent blood clots in your legs. You also will be asked to do breathing exercises to expand your lungs and prevent pneumonia. And you'll be encouraged to drink plenty of water to help avoid constipation.
As you are recovering, your medical team will check your blood pressure and signs that your remaining kidney is working properly by checking your fluid balance and electrolytes. They also will watch for complications, such as infection, pneumonia, bleeding severe enough to cause transfusion, blood clots and urinary tract infections.
If you had an open surgery, you likely will be in the hospital two to four days; if you had a minimally invasive procedure, you may be released in 1 to 2 days.
Kidney surgery recovery at home
Once at home, your doctor will recommend that you continue walking for exercise throughout the day. Be sure you get rest and not overdo exercise. Avoid strenuous activities and heavy lifting for several weeks according to your doctors orders.
If you had a laparoscopic procedure, you can expect to resume normal, non-strenuous activities within a week or so. For open surgery, recovery to normal activities may take a month. Your doctor will let you know when it is safe to resume normal activity levels and return to work depending on your type of job.
If you have pain while recovering at home follow your pain management plan. Typically, you can relieve post-surgery pain with over-the-counter or prescription pain relief medication, depending on what your doctor has determined is best for you. In general, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen or naproxen, should be avoided unless otherwise recommended by your doctor.
During the first week or so of recovery, you may need to enlist the help of family or friends. Depending on the type of surgery, you may need to avoid driving for up to two weeks, and lifting anything over 10 pounds or engaging in strenuous activities for six weeks.
After recovery
Once you have completely recovered from surgery, and if your general health is good, your doctor may give you the ok to resume normal exercise and activities. To protect your remaining kidney, you may need to change medications and adjust your diet. A kidney friendly diet includes eating nutritious foods and avoiding excess amounts of protein, red meat, salt and potassium.
Your doctor will also monitor your kidney health with annual visits. It's important to check for or manage conditions that can harm your kidney including high blood pressure or diabetes.
If your kidney was removed due to illness, such as cancer, you may need additional treatment after kidney removal surgery. Your physician will advise you on the best course of action to protect your health.
Source: https://www.healthgrades.com/right-care/kidneys-and-the-urinary-system/recovery-after-kidney-removal-surgery-what-to-expect
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