[Report of experiences with therapy of kidney injuries]

Divergent opinions exist in treating severe kidney damage. Therapeutic possibilities are shown in 150 kidney injuries, analysed in a retrospective study, during an 8-year period (1975 to 1982) in an urological and surgical department. Conservative treatment was preferred in nearly all kidney trauma grade I (according to Hodges). Nephrectomy was done in 87,5% of all grade III kidney injuries. In grade II kidney damage 9.1% were managed by conservative and 90.9% by operative therapy, 78% of the injured kidneys, grade II and III, could be saved. Operative treatment is highly more recommended regardless whether kidney trauma happened with or without other injuries. Decisions between both therapeutic possibilities, conservative or operative, depend upon posttraumatic complications and the urgency of polytraumatic injuries. Early cooperation between urologist and surgeon is most important.