AboutNewell R. Falkinburg, M.D., FACP Expertise I am a board certified nephrologist and emeritus professor of medicine at a major medical school and past Director of Nephrology & Hypertension at a university affiliated hospital. I have expertise in all areas of clinical nephrology, dialysis, transplantation and plasmapheresis.
Experience Professor of medicine
Director of Nephrology
Question I have a friend who is 39 years old and has an obstructed kidney. I am 28 and totally healthy and have no health problems. Is it safer for her to live with one kidney, having the chance that the other one could get obstructed in the future, or is it safer for me to have one kidney?
Answer Dear Michelle,
In general, one can be totally healthy with 20% of one kidney. One becomes ill from kidney failure when the overall kidney function falls to less than 10% of normal. The message is that we are endowed an abundance of extra kidney tissue and function and a lot must be lost before it becomes a health issue. There are many people who have lost one kidney and have lived happily ever after without their longevity being effected.
However, it is clearly safer for a patient to be totally healthy in all regards if he were to lose a kidney , compared to losing a diseased kidney with the remote risk of the remaining kidney developing the same disease . But, it is safer for a patient to be totally healthy.... period! I don't think he'd even be a patient then.
It is not uncommon in clinical practice for a diseased kidney to be removed. The procedure is called a nephrectomy. Uncommonly, the remaining kidney becomes diseased with the same illness that the previously removed kidney suffered from. This is uncommon but it does happen. The overall risk to the patient, however, is still less than the overall risk would be if the diseased kidney were left in place. It becomes a judgement call.
Sorry for being so complicated. Hope this helps you.
