Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research

Aim: The aim was to determine the clinical presentation, indications, type of operation, complications and outcome of open nephrectomy performed over a 10-year period in a Teaching Hospital in Nigeria. 

Study Design: This was a retrospective study of thirty- nine patients who had nephrectomy between January 2009 and December 2019 at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital.

Material and Methods: The patients’ clinical data from case notes, theatre, ward admission records and clinics were obtained. Information extracted included age, sex, clinical presentation, radiological findings, indications for and type of nephrectomy, laterality, intraoperative findings, complications of nephrectomy, histological diagnosis and treatment outcomes. Patients with incomplete clinical data were excluded.

Results: 39 patients had nephrectomy with age range from 18 years to 75 years (mean=50±13.29 years). There were 19 males and 20 females with male: female ratio of 1:1.05. The main presenting complaints were abdominal or flank pain in 35 (89.74%), loin mass in 30 (76.92%), and visible haematuria in 27 (69.23%). Elective radical nephrectomy was done for renal tumours in 27 patients (69.2%) and simple nephrectomy for benign conditions in 9 patients (23.0%), while 2 patients (5.1%) had emergency nephrectomy for gun-shot injury to renal pedicle and shattered kidney and 1 patient (2.6%) had partial nephrectomy for renal tuberculosis. Histology confirmed renal tumours in 25/39 patients (64.1%), including renal cell carcinoma in 22(56.4%), and benign conditions in 14 (35.9%). 

Conclusion: Renal tumours were the predominant indications for nephrectomy in our institution, though benign conditions also contributed less number of cases.