9 months after a partial nephrectomy

Three years after a radical nephrectomy I still have random pains especially if I have been overdoing things. For at least a year I had stabbing pains around my largest scar which I was told were nerves knitting together

I guess the surgery can result in pains which are of no concern as they are a result of nerves and things being moved around. I still find it causes a kind of low level anxiety. Perhaps this is now it is now and it's better than having a cancer. It was a shock to accidentally find I had a cancer. I had no pains or symptoms whatsoever and now I have these weird pains. 

Hi Will,

Sorry to hear that you are still experiencing pain from your operation but I am told by my consultant that this is quite normal and that complete healing time is dependant on the type of intervention and the amount of trauma caused during the operation.  Just getting into the area to be operated on can require a lot of cutting of surrounding tissue containing nerves etc and in my case with a full nephrectomy, disconnecting and closing off the associated plumbing.  None of that heals immediately and can be frustrating and painful if you are a naturally active and impatient person like me.  One thing I didn't  learn until a couple of months after the operation was that the surgeon found it necessary to remove a large section of my Renal vein during the procedure, which caused dull aching pains in parts not even the best larger could reach!  I had a massive 'oh that explains it then' moment when I found out and just that knowledge provided a huge psychological boost.  In my experience if you have pain then mention it to the oncology team in total.  It wasn't until I spoke to the surgeon that I got real answers and now that I know that there is a reason for the pain and no need to worry unduly I am much happier.

I hope this helps and I wish you all the best,

Mike

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