Kidney Cancer
Surgery for kidney cancer was completely revolutionized in 1990, when Dr. Ralph Clayman and Dr. Louis Kavoussi performed the very first laparoscopic nephrectomy ever performed in history.
I am incredibly fortunate to have been Dr. Louis Kavoussi’s apprentice during my fellowship with him, learning the techniques directly from the “godfather” of this surgery. Through robotic surgery and single port robotic surgery, we are carrying the vision of minimally invasive surgery even further to reduce pain, quicken recovery - performing kidney surgery at truly the highest levels of expertise anywhere in the world.
It is a true privilege to help patients through their urological problems and get back to their lives….to their families, to their work, to their extracurricular activities. Helping Eric was extra-special. When I met him, he had been recently diagnosed with a large kidney tumor. I was stunned when he told me had ran 32 consecutive New York City marathons and wanted to get through his surgery, to run his 33rd, as to not break his streak. We removed his tumor laparoscopically through tiny incisions, and got him up and running quickly. Check out the video to the right, where Eric tells his remarkable story, and his incredible achievement. He has kept his streak alive!
Small Tumors Don’t Need Treatment
Many kidney tumors are detected when they are very small -so small that they may never grow, spread, or do harm. In many cases, this means that we can “watch” the tumors over time, typically getting a CT scan, ultrasound, or MRI every 6 months to monitor for growth. The same thing is done for many kidney cysts. If there is minimal or no growth, we continue to watch. If there is more than average growth, we move to treat with ablation or surgery. This process of “watching” is called active surveillance.
Kidney Cancer Basics
Prior to the widespread use of CT and MRI scans, patients were diagnosed with kidney cancer with symptoms such as abdominal pain and bloody urine. In modern times, kidney tumors are often detected as an unexpected finding on a CT scan, MRI, or ultrasound that was obtained for an unrelated reason. Fortunately, this means that most kidney cancers are detected very early, when treatment leads to extremely high rates of cure. Moreover, many kidney cancers that are detected are so very small, that no immediate treatment is needed and active surveillance is recommended.