A radical nephrectomy is the surgical removal of the kidney. If performed for kidney cancer, the kidney is removed within its surrounding tissues, which may or may not include the adjacent adrenal gland. Nephrectomy is now routinely performed via a ‘key-hole’ or laparoscopic approach allowing for faster recovery and less pain for patient.

More and more kidney cancers are discovered incidentally from health screening. This allows detection of smaller kidney tumour. For certain smaller tumour, a partial nephrectomy can be performed where tumour is removed sparing the normal kidney. The technical demands of partial nephrectomy have meant that few cases were suitable for a minimally invasive approach and it remains true in Malaysia that most of these operations are performed through a large wound at open surgery. Dr Sim is a pioneer in laparoscopic and robotic partial nephrectomy when he was practicing in Singapore with extensive experience in this surgery. Please click the link for a book authored by Dr Sim detailing and sharing his experience in minimally invasive partial nephrectomy.