Renal and Kidney Surgery

Our Mercy Health nephrology specialists offer a wide array of surgical procedures to treat your kidney disorders. From kidney stone removal to surgical removal all or part of the kidney (nephrectomy) in instances of renal cell cancer, our skilled surgeons use the latest methods and most up-to-date equipment.

The most common condition handled by our kidney specialists is kidney stones, and there are a variety of surgical options for getting rid of kidney stones. The most common kidney stone surgery is lithotripsy, in which your doctor breaks up the stones into smaller pieces so they may be more easily passed or removed. Lithotomy is another method that simply involves your doctor surgically removing the entire stone or stones through a small incision. Depending on the cause of your kidney stones, additional surgeries may be necessary to prevent future stones, such as removal of the parathyroid gland.

Kidney stones may not cause symptoms, but if you are experiencing the following, you should talk to your doctor about the possibility of kidney stones:

• Pain on urination
• Urinating small amounts of urine
• Pink, red or brown urine
• Nausea and vomiting
• Severe pain in the side and back, below the ribs
• Pain that spreads to the lower abdomen and groin
• Cloudy or foul-smelling urine, fever or chills, if an infection is present
• Persistent need to urinate

For more severe kidney issues, such as kidney failure and kidney cancer (renal cell carcinoma), our experienced surgeons may recommend nephrectomy, essentially the removal of part or all of a kidney.

Kidney Surgery Services We Offer

• Nephrolithotomy (lithotomy)
• Nephrolithotripsy (lithotripsy)
• Nephrectomy (or partial nephrectomy)