Hi,
Sorry to hear about your Mom.
I just had open partial nephectomy for RCC Feb 4. I'm 43, other wise very healthy. My RCC was found "incidentally", I slipped on ice at work, went for a back x-ray, and a month later I was sitting at the urologist getting my cancer diagnosis. Every one calls it my miracle fall because if I hadn't fallen, it would still be growing inside me.
It is good that they are saving the kidney. Because it is an open procedure, the healing is longer. My scar is long. Front to back around my flank, probably 7-8 inches. Recovery is long and painful. (I'm not trying to scare you, just prepare you) I was told by several other dr and nurse friends to be prepared for a long painful couple of weeks.
The surgery was 5 1/2 hours. I was in hospital for 6 days. I had a chest tube because they nicked my "dura" (the sac around my lung).- Not uncommon.
She will probably have a "Jackson Pratt Drain" it will drain urine out of the area around the kidney. I have had this for several weeks, most people just a week or so. I am reminded by my urologist that I still have my drain because my kidney is putting out good urine and that's why my kidney isn't "sealing up " quickly. Still it's an annoyance.
There can be a some rib pain, because often they use rib spreaders, I think this is an improvement over removing the rib, which used to be common.
This small size is a really good sign. They found it early. Mine was about 4.0 cm and my dr is thrilled with my pathology report. I'm still only 5 weeks out, but he says chance of recurrance is tiny. Some other people on this site have had very different experiances so I guess I'm no expert.
My dr told me (again I'm not the expert) that they do an open procedure so they can really see and feel the tumor. My make sure they get all of the edges with out any complications. I could have opted for a "hand assisted laproscopic procedure" and had the whole kindey removed. Recovery would have been quicker. My dr keeps reminding me that all of this discomfort that I'm going through now is really just the "cost" of having 2 functioning kidneys.
Good luck with your Mom and stay in touch.
katskidney