Q: At the end of last year, I came to know that my left kidney is non-functioning. My right kidney is adequately working (but not properly) and its GFR is 36.57. My urea is 46; creatinine is 1.9 and uric acid is 5.6. To what extent is the functioning of my right kidney abnormal? Do I need to have a kidney transplant in future? If so, what is my survival rate? Can I lead a normal life now?

A:Based on the information provided including your baseline serum creatinine of 1.9 mg/dL, you have around 35-40% of normal kidney function at your age. It is not possible to retrieve the lost kidney function. Instead, the focus is always on measures intended to delay the progression of underlying kidney disease as in your case. Firstly, it would be advisable to undertake kidney biopsy as part of the investigative tests to find out the cause of kidney disease at such an early age in the absence of risk factors including hypertension and diabetes, all under the supervision of your nephrologist. Secondly, avoid exposure to all the potential kidney toxic medications including continuous intake of some of the pain medications like Voveran, Brufen and Nimulid. Kidney transplant is a treatment of choice with excellent long-term outcome for patients who have advanced to the stage of kidney failure (less than 10-15% of normal kidney function at her or his age). Meanwhile, you can certainly lead a normal healthy life while complying with the treatment prescribed by your nephrologist.