Can the left kidney GFR of 12 recover somewhat?
I recently felt discomfort in my kidney and went to the hospital for an examination. I found out that my glomerular filtration rate (GFR) for the left kidney is 12. Is it possible for this condition to recover?
Doctor's answer (1)
A left kidney GFR of only 12 typically indicates severe impairment of kidney function, signifying an advanced stage of chronic kidney disease, although not complete loss of function. In healthy individuals, the GFR is approximately 90-120 ml/min, and for a single kidney, it ranges from 45-60 ml/min; therefore, a GFR of 12 ml/min represents a significantly reduced value. At this stage, the possibility of complete recovery to normal kidney function is very low, but treatment can help slow the progression of the disease.
Medication can help control the progression of the condition and prevent further deterioration of kidney function. If the kidney dysfunction is caused by temporary acute factors, improvement may occur once the underlying disease is treated. However, even in such cases, the left kidney's GFR usually does not return completely to normal levels.
For certain kidney conditions, such as hydronephrosis, surgical intervention or other treatment methods may be necessary. These treatments can help alleviate the condition, but whether GFR can be restored to normal depends on the individual case.
