Functional evaluation of the remaining kidney in patients after unilateral nephrectomy.
BACKGROUND
Unilateral nephrectomy is quite often surgical procedure. The remaining kidney undergoes a sequel of adaptational processes. The aim of the study was to evaluate kidney function in patients subjected to unilateral nephrectomy.


METHODS
The study was carried out in 28 subjects allocated into three groups: healthy controls (n = 8) and patients subjected to unilateral nephrectomy evaluated 1 month (n = 10) and 1 year (n = 10) from the surgery. Biochemical as well ultrasonographic and scintigraphic data were recorded.


RESULTS
From all evaluated standard biochemical parameters (creatinine, creatinine clearance, urea, microalbuminuria) significant changes were observed in the case of creatinine and microalbuminuria levels at 1 month, which increased from 0.96 mg/ml to 1.05 mg/dl and from 5.14 mg/24 h to 20.0 mg/24 h, respectively. (99)Tc(m)-DTPA plasma clearance was significantly elevated in patients 1 month after unilateral nephrectomy, by 7.5%, with a decrease by 17% in patients 1 year after surgical procedure, in reference to the control subjects. A significant increase in (99)Tc(m)-EC plasma clearance of patients evaluated 1 year from the operation, by 13% (p < 0.05) in comparison to the control group was seen. RI index markedly increased in nephrectomised patients both after 1 month and 1 year from the operation as compared to the controls, from 0.59 to 0.64 (p < 0.05) and 0.63 (p < 0.05), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Adaptational changes of the remaining kidney are observed in patients 1 month and 1 year after unilateral nephrectomy.
Department of Pharmacology, Pomeranian Academy of Medicine, Powstancow Wlkp 72, PL-70-111 Szczecin, Poland. drozdzik@sci.pam.szczecin.pl
Marek
M
Drozdzik
Leszek
L
Domanski
Jacek
J
Rozanski
Barbara
B
Gorecka
D000328:Adult; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000209:etiology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012079:Renal Circulation; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate; D014463:Ultrasonography
D003404:Creatinine; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate