Q: My wife was having urinary track infection and got treated for it. Now one doctor has said that one of her kidney’s is not functioning. Is it necessary to remove the kidney or we can let it be as long as there is no pain or infection? Please advise in this regard.

A:If there is no bleeding, pain or infection in a non-functioning kidney then that kidney may not be removed. However, if there are recurrent severe urinary tract infections and non-functioning or poorly functioning kidney with infected foci can be a source of these infectious episodes, then it may be better to remove such a kidney.