A retrospective review of nephrectomies at a tertiary hospital in northern Ghana

Abstract

Background: Nephrectomy is the surgical removal of a diseased kidney or the removal of a kidney for transplantation. Benign and malignant kidney conditions may necessitate kidney removal to reduce morbidity and prevent death. Healthcare accessibility and affordability are relatively poor in Africa, alongside limited human resources for diagnosing and managing medical conditions. Kidney conditions, which can be treated to prevent loss of kidney function, may be undiagnosed or untreated, leading to the loss of kidney function and nephrectomy. We evaluated the common reasons for non-trauma-related nephrectomy at a tertiary hospital in northern Ghana. The study aimed to provide baseline information to improve patient care and prevent kidney function loss leading to nephrectomy.

Materials and methods: The retrospective, descriptive study evaluated the operative records of patients who underwent open nephrectomy at the only teaching hospital in northern Ghana from 2014 to 2024.

Results: The median age of the study subjects was 28 years, with an almost equal number of males (50.4%) and females (49.6%). The most common indication for nephrectomy at our centre was loss of kidney function from treatable causes, mainly pelvi-ureteric junction (PUJ) obstruction (34.9%) and renal/ureteric stones (19.3%). Renal cell carcinoma and Wilms’ tumour each constituted 15.7% of nephrectomy indications.

Conclusion: Nephrectomy is a common surgical procedure performed in northern Ghana; however, the indications are commonly due to treatable conditions. Thus, improvements in healthcare will significantly reduce the need for nephrectomies in our area.