Renal outcome following heminephrectomy for duplex kidney.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated functional outcome following heminephrectomy in duplex kidneys.


METHODS
A total of 101 patients were identified who underwent upper or lower pole heminephrectomy between January 1995 and December 2000. We retrospectively reviewed 60 case notes with complete data. A total of 37 cases (62%) were diagnosed prenatally, while 20 (33%) presented as single or recurrent urinary tract infection and 3 (5%) as urinary incontinence. Of the patients 52 (87%) had unilateral duplex and 8 (13%) had bilateral duplex kidneys. In addition, 20 of the 60 patients (33%) had ureterocele. Mean age at surgery was 46 months (range 3 to 10 years).


RESULTS
Mean function as assessed by nuclear renography of the duplex kidney before heminephrectomy was 39.9% (range 22% to 61%) and following heminephrectomy was 33.1% (13% to 60%). Mean decrease in function was 6.8%, with a decrease in function of less than 5% in 18 patients, 5% to 10% in 13 and more than 10% in 5. The functional values were increased by 1% to 5% in 9 patients and unchanged in 15 patients after heminephrectomy.


CONCLUSIONS
Following heminephrectomy there was a significant decrease in 8% of patients and a small decrease in function in the remaining moiety in 51%.
Gundeti
M S
MS
Department of Paediatric Urology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children's NHS Trust and Evelina Children's Hospital, Guy's Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
Ransley
P G
PG
Duffy
P G
PG
Cuckow
P M
PM
Wilcox
D T
DT
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery*; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000379:methods*