Q: I am a 41 years old male. Couple of years back, my right kidney had a pelviureteric junction (PUJ) obstruction and it has stopped functioning as a result. My left kidney functions perfectly and has actually enlarged a bit to accommodate. Should my right kidney be removed?

A:There is no reason that your obstructed kidney should be removed. Your other kidney is working well but hypertrophied because of extra work it has to do. In these situations over long term the unaffected kidney can develop some segmental sclerosis leading to proteinuria/kidney dysfunction. Your nephrologist/physician has to follow your kidney function and amount of protein in urine. You have to stay away from all nephrotoxic medications and all other risk factors for kidney disease like diabetes, hypertension should be well controlled if you have them.