Definition: A benign (noncancer) tumor of fat and muscle tissue that usually is found in the kidney. Angiomyolipomas rarely cause symptoms, but may bleed or grow large enough to be painful or cause kidney failure. They are common in patients with tuberous sclerosis (a genetic disorder in which benign tumors grow in the kidneys, brain, eyes, heart, lungs, and skin, causing seizures, mental problems, and skin lesions).
That's the deal that was on my kidney. There was an interesting story about how this all came about.
The urologist offered the rectal cancer surgeon three options, the last option was operating at the same time as my rectal surgery. He really did not want to do that. Kidney procedures usually are done from the flank, not an abdominal incision as was planned for my rectal surgery.
But four weeks before the surgery everyone was in agreement that one operation was better than two and they would see what they could do.
Two weeks before the operation, apparently, the urology team decided to back out.
No one told me until I was on a table in the pre-op room getting all my IVs installed.
One doctor was telling me that they had decided not to try to get to the kidney through the abdominal incision and that I would have to come back for another surgery. As he was telling me this, another doctor came in and said they had changed their mind and decided that they would at least take a look.
Then the urology resident came in and told me that they did not have high hopes for doing anything but they were willing to take a look. If they weren't happy with their access they would close me up and I would have to come back another day.
I was glad they were at least trying, but a bit concerned that I would end up with two major surgeries in less than one year.
In the end, they were able to remove the growth (along with about a quarter of my right kidney) and it was not cancerous, but the thing described above.
True story.
