A radical nephrectomy removes an entire kidney, most commonly when a kidney tumor is too large or complex for kidney-sparing surgery. With robotic or laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon works through several small abdominal incisions using a camera and specialized instruments rather than a large open incision. The kidney is carefully separated from its blood vessels and surrounding structures and then removed. Depending on the diagnosis and tumor location, nearby fatty tissue, the adrenal gland, or lymph nodes may also need evaluation or removal. The remaining kidney generally continues performing the body's filtration work, and kidney function is monitored before and after surgery.