1. surgical removal of a kidney
Usage: medical term; typically performed to treat kidney disease, cancer, or injury

Examples

• The patient underwent a nephrectomy to remove the cancerous kidney.
• After the nephrectomy, the remaining kidney compensated for the lost organ.
• The surgeon recommended a partial nephrectomy to preserve as much kidney tissue as possible.
• Recovery from a nephrectomy typically takes several weeks.
• A radical nephrectomy involves removal of the entire kidney and surrounding tissue.