Is there still kidney function after removing half of the kidney?
Disease description:
A friend's father needs to have half of his kidney removed due to kidney disease. May I ask, after removing half of the kidney, does the remaining part still have kidney function?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Yang Ziqi
After removing half of the kidney, whether the remaining kidney still maintains renal function mainly depends on the following factors:
1. **Condition of the remaining kidney**: If the remaining kidney is healthy and capable of undertaking the original metabolic and excretory tasks, it can still maintain a certain level of kidney function.
2. **Extent of resection**: If only a small portion of the kidney is removed, the impact on overall renal function will be relatively minor. However, if more than half of the kidney is removed, the remaining kidney may struggle to fully meet the body's metabolic demands, thereby affecting kidney function.
3. **Compensatory capacity**: The kidneys have a strong compensatory capacity; generally, as long as more than half of the kidney function remains, kidney failure is unlikely to occur. However, this also depends on the patient's specific condition and the health status of the remaining kidney.
