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The tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder (ureter) and the blood vessels are cut away from the kidney and the kidney is removed. The incision is then closed. This operation is called a nephrectomy.
Review Date 4/1/2025
Updated by: Kelly L. Stratton, MD, FACS, Associate Professor, Department of Urology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
