# Nephrectomy --- A **nephrectomy** is the removal of a [[kidneys|kidney]]. You can live with only one kidney, and with life-saving measures such as [[dialysis]] you can survive without either kidney. One reason you might get a nephrectomy is [[kidney cancer]]. **Renal artery embolization** is a process where the blood flow through the renal artery is blocked and starves the kidney (and tumor) of blood, which makes the nephrectomy easier. ___