Nephrostomy Tube

Hi, my daughter has a nephrostomy tube in place. And we live in the USA but, I will tell you that if the doctor takes out the nephrostomy tube chances are your husbands kidney will swell and start causing other issues. My daughter has had one for 3 years because of a benign mass pressing against the tube leading out of the kidney. She can go without one for about 3 days and still not have any issues. The other thing you should know it is a fact that if your husband does chemo with his cancer with a nephrostomy tube in - those tubes will not stay in place for more than 5 to 10 days. My daughter has breast cancer and she had 1 dose of chemo and she reacted to the chemo drugs. So that ended the chemo but since then, she hasn't been able to keep the nephrostomy in place. She has had 8 change outs since November 25th, 2019. 

Hello Zen, I would like to know what happen at UCLA? My daughter has a retro peritoneal mass that is benign and is doing the same thing to her as your wife's mass. We have been told that she wouldn't survive the operation it would take to remove it . BUT I will take tell you that if your wife takes chemo for this, that nephrostomy tube will not stay in place. My daughter took 1 dose of chemo drugs and since November 25th, 2019 she has had 8 change outs of the tube due to it coming out on it's own. This is what chemo does to those tubes. Over the weekend it quit working and she is having a change out now. No doctor here, at Shands Teaching Hospital, in Gainesville, Florida or MD Anderson Cancer Center in Jacksonville, Florida, and North Florida Cancer Center can tell me when it will get back to normal. So every 5 to 10 days - she is having a tube replacement. It is horrable

Hello Pompei

My bladder cancer was operable and removed but my right ureter leaked for 3 weeks causing 7.5 litres of infected pus to build up in my body cavity. To stop this, I had a nephrostomy fitted for 3 months while the ureter healed. My surgeon told me it might be a permanent solution as there was less than a 50/50 chance of a successful reconnection later.

The plan was to change the tube every 3 months to avoid tissue growing around it and further infections. As it happens, the intervention surgeon worked a miracle and did reconnect my ureter.

The problem with treatment solutions is that they can be experimental based on suck it and see. It looks like a choice between the 'suck it and see' option or keep the bag unless the doc can stent the ureter to force it open so it drains into his bladder.

CB.