Related Experiment Videos
Forty-five year follow-up after uninephrectomy
D M Narkun-Burgess1, C R Nolan, J E Norman
1Department of Medicine, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.
Kidney International
|May 1, 1993
Summary
Nephrectomy (kidney removal) in young adults, often due to trauma, showed no increased mortality over 45 years. Long-term follow-up revealed few major adverse health consequences in these kidney surgery patients.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Trauma Surgery
- Longitudinal Studies
Background:
- Kidney loss due to trauma can necessitate nephrectomy (kidney removal).
- The long-term health implications for individuals undergoing nephrectomy at a young age are not fully understood.
- World War II (WWII) provided a unique cohort for studying the effects of trauma-induced nephrectomy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term consequences of nephrectomy in United States Army personnel who lost a kidney due to trauma during WWII.
- To assess mortality, kidney disease, hypertension, and renal function in survivors of nephrectomy.
- To compare outcomes with age-matched controls from the same WWII cohort.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 62 servicemen who underwent nephrectomy at an average age of 25.
- Comparison of mortality rates with age-matched WWII servicemen.
- Review of medical records for deceased subjects (n=28) to identify causes of kidney disease.
- Assessment of blood pressure and kidney function (proteinuria, serum creatinine) in living subjects (n=28).
Main Results:
- No increased mortality was observed at 45 years post-nephrectomy compared to controls.
- Kidney disease in deceased subjects was attributed to causes other than nephrectomy.
- No increased prevalence of hypertension was found in living subjects.
- Abnormal renal function (proteinuria or elevated serum creatinine) was noted in five living subjects, with potential alternative causes.
Conclusions:
- Uninephrectomy in young adults, even due to trauma, appears to have minimal major adverse health consequences over a 45-year follow-up period.
- Long-term renal function and blood pressure are generally well-maintained after unilateral kidney removal in young individuals.
- Further investigation may be warranted for the few cases with impaired renal function to rule out long-term effects or identify other contributing factors.