Nephroptosis
What is it?
Nephroptosis is a condition in which one or both kidneys drop around 5 centimeters below their correct position in the abdomen when a person stands up.
Signs & symptoms
Most people with nephroptosis have no symptoms at all. In some individuals, symptoms occur when standing and are often relieved when lying down. These symptoms include:
* a sharp side (flank) pain that radiates into the groin
* nausea
* vomiting
* high blood pressure
* an abdominal mass when standing upright
* a weighing feeling in the abdomen
* hematuria (blood in the urine)
* proteinuria (excessive protein in the urine)
* a history of repeated urinary tract infections (UTIs)
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is contemplated based upon patient symptoms. Diagnosis is confirmed during intravenous urography, by obtaining erect and supine films. The renal DMSA scan may show decreased counts in the sitting position compared with supine scan.
Treatment
Nephroptosis isn’t considered a harmful condition. Treatment is only recommended in people with symptoms.
In the past, weight gain, frequent lying down, abdominal corsets or bandages, and abdominal exercise were recommended to help treat symptoms. Unfortunately, these treatments have shown little success in managing symptoms. They are no longer recommended.
Nephroptosis is now treated with a surgical procedure known as laparoscopic nephropexy. It’s important to carefully consider the risks of having surgery. In this procedure, the floating kidney is secured in its correct position.
Laparoscopic nephropexy is a minimally invasive modern treatment. It’s done under general anesthesia. The procedure generally takes 45 minutes and requires a hospital stay of 2 to 4 days.
☝️ This is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making any medical decision.
Learn more about our editorial process for content accuracy.
Source of Information - We analyze big data of more than 23 million patients de-identified medical records from the following sources:
Find people who are
experiencing a similar
medical reality
Free
Alike Wisdom
Instantly get answers to medical questions with our AI, built from the collective wisdom of our community facing similar experiences
You might also like