Nephrectomy Side Effects and Warnings

Possible Complications

Complications are rare, but no procedure is completely free of risk. If you are planning to have a nephrectomy, your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include:

• Infection
• Bleeding
• Blood clots
• Damage to near-by organs
• Reactions to the anesthesia
• Leakage of urine from the remaining kidney tissue, if only part of the kidney is removed

Call Your Doctor

After you leave the hospital, contact your doctor if any of the following occurs:

• Signs of infection, including fever or chills
• Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or discharge from the incision site
• Nausea and/or vomiting that you cannot control with the medicines you were given after surgery, or which persist for more than two days after discharge from the hospital
• Pain that you cannot control with the medicines you have been given
• Cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain
• Are not able to urinate
• Sudden weakness

In case of an emergency, CALL 911.