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SF-203 (Second Floor), Olive Greens, Sarkhej - Gandhinagar
Hwy, Gota, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India 382481
Plot No. 1 A, Apollo Hospital International Limited, GIDC Bhat, Industrial Estate, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382428
Dr Swati Shah, MS, DrNB (Surgical Oncology), Uro-Gynec Oncologist, performs radical and partial nephrectomy for kidney cancer — open, laparoscopic and robotic — at Apollo Hospital, Bhat, Gandhinagar. Consultations at Shah’s Gastro, Cancer & Robotic Surgery Centre, Gota, Ahmedabad.
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Dr Swati Shah, MS, DrNB (Surgical Oncology), performs kidney cancer surgery at Apollo Hospital, Bhat, Gandhinagar.
This page is for patients living near Ahmedabad. Coming in from another state is a bit different. You can read about kidney cancer surgery for patients from outside Gujarat on that page. Bring your reports. Second opinions are welcome.
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Last updated: 5 October 2026
Part of Dr Swati Shah's uro-oncology service. This page covers kidney cancer surgery. Dr Swati Shah is a uro-oncologist: she operates on cancers of the kidney, bladder, prostate, testis and penis, and does not treat stones or other non-cancer urology. See every urological cancer she treats: Uro-oncologist in Ahmedabad.
Dr Swati Shah is a uro-oncologist in Ahmedabad with 18 years of experience. She has performed more than 100 robotic kidney operations and has operated at the robotic console since 2013. She trained in general surgery at Maulana Azad Medical College and for three years in surgical oncology (DrNB) at Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute, New Delhi, under a senior uro-oncologist.
Dr Swati Shah began robotic surgery in 2013 on the da Vinci Si, and has used the da Vinci Xi since 2018. Her robotic kidney work counts more than 100 operations. Across all robotic cancer surgery for urological and gynaecological cancers, her experience is about 650 operations.
She operates on the kidney by robotic, laparoscopic or open surgery. The approach is chosen by the tumour's anatomy, its extent and the patient's health, not by the technology alone.
Patients come to her mainly from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and some from Africa.
Last updated: 6 October 2026
Patient
Patient
Patient
| The Myth | The Fact |
|---|---|
| "I have no back pain or blood in my urine, so my kidneys are fine." | Early-stage kidney cancer is usually "silent" and shows no signs. By the time pain or visible blood appears, the tumor may have already grown. Routine ultrasound check-ups are the best way to catch it early. |
| "Kidney cancer only happens to very old people." | While risk increases with age, it is increasingly common in adults in their 40s and 50s, especially those with high blood pressure, obesity, or a family history. Younger patients often benefit the most from early intervention. |
| "My ultrasound showed a kidney cyst, so it must be cancer." | Simple water-filled cysts are very common and usually harmless. A cyst is a "finding," not a cancer diagnosis. Dr. Shah uses advanced imaging (CT scan or MRI) to confirm if a mass is actually a solid tumor needing treatment. |
| "If I have a tumor, the doctor must remove my entire kidney." | With modern Robotic-Assisted Surgery, Dr. Shah can perform a "Partial Nephrectomy." This means she precisely removes only the tumor while saving the rest of your healthy kidney, protecting your long-term health. |
| "Kidney surgery means a massive cut and months of bed rest." | Robotic technology allows for "Keyhole" surgery. By using tiny cuts instead of a large open wound, patients experience much less pain, less bleeding, and can usually return to their normal lives within a few weeks. |
| "Kidney cancer is always a death sentence." | If caught early and treated with precision robotic surgery before it spreads, the long-term survival rate is extremely high. It is a highly curable disease when managed by an expert uro-oncologist. |
Cancer control comes first. When it is safe for the cancer and technically possible, Dr Swati Shah removes only the tumour and keeps the rest of the kidney (partial nephrectomy, also called nephron-sparing surgery). When the tumour is too large, too central or too advanced, she removes the whole kidney (radical nephrectomy).
Partial nephrectomy is weighed against these points:
Her experience includes partial nephrectomy for difficult tumours, which needs renal hilar dissection and vascular control, selective clamping or early unclamping where suitable (to keep warm ischaemia short), removal of the tumour with a clear margin, repair of the collecting system, and reconstruction of the kidney (renorrhaphy).
Video: robotic partial nephrectomy, from Dr Swati Shah's YouTube channel.
She performs radical nephrectomy by open, laparoscopic and robotic surgery, including extended radical nephrectomy, nephrectomy with lymph-node dissection, nephrectomy for large or recurrent tumours, nephrectomy with removal of tumour thrombus from the veins, and, in selected cases, nephrectomy with surgery on nearby organs.
Last updated: 6 October 2026
| Feature | Robotic-Assisted Surgery | Laparoscopic Surgery |
|---|---|---|
| Incision Size | 4–5 Tiny Keyholes (8mm each) | Small keyhole incisions (similar size) |
| Surgical Vision | 3D High-Definition (15x Magnification) | Standard 2D Camera View |
| Instrument Dexterity | Fully articulated wrists (360-degree rotation) | Rigid, straight instruments with limited motion |
| Surgeon Control | Seated console with tremor filtration for maximum precision | Standing at the operating table (more physically demanding) |
| Kidney Saving (Precision) | Highly Precise (Ideal for complex tumors while saving healthy kidney tissue) | Good, but may be limited for highly complex or hard-to-reach tumors |
| Recovery Time | Fastest (Usually walking within 24 hours) | Fast (Comparable, but slightly longer depending on the case) |
| Cost | May involve higher upfront costs due to advanced technology | Generally lower cost |
A 66-year-old male presented with a symptomatic 3.5 cm renal mass and bilateral inguinal hernias. Imaging suggested potential renal cell carcinoma, necessitating precise surgical intervention to preserve renal function while ensuring complete tumor eradication. The combined presentation required a sophisticated, multi-disciplinary approach to address both the oncological and abdominal concerns.
A 64-year-old male presented with persistent pain and weight loss, leading to the diagnosis of a high-complexity left renal solid cystic mass. The lesion was identified as a potentially aggressive renal cell carcinoma, showing heterogeneous enhancement and requiring urgent surgical intervention to prevent further disease progression.
A 49-year-old male presented with a massive, non-functioning left renal mass measuring over fourteen centimeters. The cancer had aggressively invaded the left renal vein, forming a perilous thrombus extending directly into the inferior vena cava. This highly complex anatomy required immediate, meticulous surgical intervention.
Dr Swati Shah operates on kidney tumours that are difficult because of where they sit, how far they have spread, or previous surgery: tumours growing into the renal vein or the inferior vena cava (IVC), recurrent tumours, tumours involving nearby organs, and selected metastatic kidney cancers. Each of these is planned case by case, often with other specialists.
Some kidney cancers grow into the renal vein and on into the IVC, the large vein that returns blood to the heart. Dr Swati Shah personally performs different types of IVC thrombus surgery: renal vein thrombus, IVC thrombus including Level II and more extensive thrombus, and removal of the thrombus as part of radical nephrectomy. Her experience includes Level IV thrombus reaching towards the heart, managed together with a multidisciplinary team.
Not every kidney cancer needs this kind of surgery. These are described case by case, from her own patients.
For selected patients whose kidney cancer has spread, surgery can be one part of a treatment plan made by a multidisciplinary team. It is not suitable for every patient with metastatic kidney cancer, and the decision is made individually.
The case library covers robotic and complex partial nephrectomy, robotic, laparoscopic and extended radical nephrectomy, large and recurrent tumours, renal vein and IVC thrombus, and tumours involving nearby organs.
Last updated: 6 October 2026
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Dr Swati Shah teaches kidney cancer surgery to other surgeons, presents her operating videos at surgical meetings, and started two national multidisciplinary meetings, PROM and POINT, where radiologists, pathologists and oncologists discuss kidney tumours together.
PROM (Radiology and Oncology Meeting) brings radiologists and oncologists together to read kidney tumour scans: what the tumour is, where it lies, its relation to the vessels and the collecting system, and how to plan the operation. POINT (Pathology, Oncology, Immunology and Novel Therapeutics) brings pathologists and oncologists together on kidney tumour pathology, biology, immunology and new treatments. Both run in person and online, with doctors from across India.
Dr Swati Shah is an author of "Technique and Intraoperative Strategy for Circumferential Resection of Perirenal Inferior Vena Cava with Bilateral Renal Vein Reconstruction", Indian Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, 2025. The case was a retroperitoneal dedifferentiated liposarcoma (not a kidney cancer) involving the IVC around the kidneys and both renal veins. It needed removal of the tumour with the IVC in one piece and reconstruction of both renal veins with Y-shaped Dacron grafts to keep blood flowing to the kidneys, with uro-oncology, GI oncosurgery, vascular and anaesthesia teams working together.
Complex kidney and retroperitoneal tumours may need planning with radiology, pathology, vascular surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, anaesthesia and medical oncology. The aim is the safest operation that still follows sound cancer principles: cancer control, kidney preservation where possible, and the right surgical approach for each patient.
Last updated: 6 October 2026
| The Myth | The Fact |
|---|---|
| "The robot performs the surgery on its own." | The robotic system is 100% controlled by Dr. Swati Shah at all times. It is a high-tech tool that translates her exact hand movements into micro-precise actions inside the body; it cannot move or make decisions without her. |
| "Robotic surgery is only for young people." | Age is not a barrier. Because robotic surgery involves much less blood loss and smaller incisions, it is actually safer for elderly patients (even those in their 70s and 80s) compared to traditional open kidney surgery. |
| "If I have surgery, I will lose my whole kidney and need dialysis." | Modern robotic techniques allow for "Kidney-Sparing Surgery" (Partial Nephrectomy). In most cases, Dr. Shah can precisely remove just the tumor while saving your remaining healthy kidney, keeping your body functioning normally. |
| "I don't have back pain or blood in my urine, so I am cancer-free." | Early-stage kidney cancer is completely "silent" and rarely shows any physical symptoms. Routine ultrasound check-ups or CT scans are the only way to catch it early when it is highly curable. |
| "Robotic surgery is experimental and risky." | Robotic surgery is the global "Gold Standard" for kidney cancer. It is a proven, highly advanced technology that significantly reduces the risk of infection, bleeding, and complications compared to open surgery. |
| Aspect | Pros (Benefits) | Cons (Drawbacks) |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery Time | Walking in 24 hours | May involve higher upfront costs |
| Precision | Margin-negative tumor removal | Requires a highly specialized surgeon |
| Surgical Trauma | Tiny cuts, minimal bleeding | Not suited for all advanced tumor stages |
| Surgery Type | Technique Used | Expected Recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Robotic Surgery | Advanced robotic arms | Fast (Walking in 24 hours) |
| Laparoscopic | Standard camera tools | Moderate recovery time |
| Open Surgery | Traditional large cut | Slower, longer hospital stay |
If you have any kind Uro Cancer related medical emergency, visit Apollo Hospital. An expert doctor is always available & treatment will be provided at once.
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