If a kidney is removed then how will GFR be affected?
Dr Vijay Kher
Chairman,
Department of Nephrology and Kidney transplant Medicine,
Fortis Kidney and Urology Institute,
Fortis Escorts Hospital, New Delhi
Chairman,
Department of Nephrology and Kidney transplant Medicine,
Fortis Kidney and Urology Institute,
Fortis Escorts Hospital, New Delhi
Q: If one kidney is removed then how is the GFR affected? Is it reduced to half?
A:The normal unremoved kidney compensates for the removed kidney. The GFR of the kidney increases by 25-40 % and the total GFR achieved in 4-6 weeks is about 80 % of the original GFR of the two kidneys. A person with one normal kidney can perform & live like any other normal person with two kidneys. One in 5000 people are born with one kidney only and many times may not know that they have one kidney.