Renal Trauma Management
Renal Trauma is an injury to the kidney which is caused by an external force. The kidneys are well protected by the rib cage and back muscles, but are not devoid of injuries from blunt or penetrating trauma.
Blunt trauma : An impact that arises from an object that doesn’t break the skin but forceful to damage the kidneys is referred to as blunt trauma. Blunt trauma can be caused by falls, motor vehicle accidents, or assaults and is the most common type of renal trauma cases.
Blunt trauma : An impact that arises from an object that doesn’t break the skin but forceful to damage the kidneys is referred to as blunt trauma. Blunt trauma can be caused by falls, motor vehicle accidents, or assaults and is the most common type of renal trauma cases.
Penetrating trauma : Penetrating trauma is caused by a sharp object that enters the body and pierces the skin. An example of penetrating trauma is a gunshot wound.
Management of Renal trauma is usually treated without surgery, for hemodynamically stable patients with no other injuries. However, the treatment depends on the severity of the injury, the patient’s condition, and whether other organs are involved. Improved radiographic techniques and along with a validated renal injury scoring system have resulted in improved staging of injury severity that is relatively easy to monitor. Surgical exploration may lead to nephrectomy. A nephrectomy is a surgical procedure to remove all or part of a kidney:
- Partial nephrectomy: Removes part of a kidney or a tumour.
- Simple nephrectomy: Removes one kidney.
- Radical nephrectomy: Removes the entire kidney, nearby adrenal gland and lymph nodes, and other surrounding tissue.
- Bilateral nephrectomy: Removes both kidneys.