I’ve put off posting here until I had something concrete to say. About six weeks ago I started having pain in my mid-lower back. I made an appointment with my doctor and he ordered an ultrasound as we were both mostly expecting kidney stones. However that turned out not to be the case. The ultrasound revealed a mass on my right kidney so the doctor ordered a CT scan to confirm and further evaluate it. The CT confirmed it was a 2.5 centimeter tumor so he next referred me to a urologist.
I requested a urologist that I’d seen previously and got that appointment but that urologist called back and said after seeing the CT results he preferred I see one of his associates who specializes in robotic surgery. Well, I saw that urological surgeon, Dr Wolters, a couple of weeks ago and he showed me the disk and we went over the options:
1) Partial nephrectomy done laparoscopically and would leave me about 80% of the kidney intact
2) Radical nephrectomy also done laparoscopically
3 & 4) Either of the above options done the old fashioned way with a full inscision
5) laparoscopic insertion of a devise between the kidney and the tumor with an attempt to freeze it (or he might have said radiation, it was beginning to run together on me)
6) Wait and watch: however he said it was already at the size they stop watching and intervene.
We decided on the first option, a partial nephrectomy done laparoscopically with the foreknowledge that it could change if circumstances dictate while I’m on the table.
Last week I had an appointment with my cardiologist to clear me for surgery and that went well with him rating me as a “medium risk.” While there I complained of a recurring pain behind my left ear so said cardiologist ordered a carotid ultrasound which was done this past Monday. Unless those results change the clearance my surgery is scheduled for Monday, 12 March at West Florida Hospital in Pensacola with an expected recovery time of about 3 days barring any complications.
I’ll try to keep y’all updated but I hope you understand if I’m absent from the forum for a while around that time. Of course I welcome your thoughts and prayers.
I requested a urologist that I’d seen previously and got that appointment but that urologist called back and said after seeing the CT results he preferred I see one of his associates who specializes in robotic surgery. Well, I saw that urological surgeon, Dr Wolters, a couple of weeks ago and he showed me the disk and we went over the options:
1) Partial nephrectomy done laparoscopically and would leave me about 80% of the kidney intact
2) Radical nephrectomy also done laparoscopically
3 & 4) Either of the above options done the old fashioned way with a full inscision
5) laparoscopic insertion of a devise between the kidney and the tumor with an attempt to freeze it (or he might have said radiation, it was beginning to run together on me)
6) Wait and watch: however he said it was already at the size they stop watching and intervene.
We decided on the first option, a partial nephrectomy done laparoscopically with the foreknowledge that it could change if circumstances dictate while I’m on the table.
Last week I had an appointment with my cardiologist to clear me for surgery and that went well with him rating me as a “medium risk.” While there I complained of a recurring pain behind my left ear so said cardiologist ordered a carotid ultrasound which was done this past Monday. Unless those results change the clearance my surgery is scheduled for Monday, 12 March at West Florida Hospital in Pensacola with an expected recovery time of about 3 days barring any complications.
I’ll try to keep y’all updated but I hope you understand if I’m absent from the forum for a while around that time. Of course I welcome your thoughts and prayers.
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