What are the effects of a duplex kidney?

[Jen101979]

After having constant pains, I was sent for an ultrasound and it was found that I had ovarian cysts and a duplex kidney on my right side. 6 months later and I'm still suffering from intense pain, however my doctor has never explained too well the effects of a duplex kidney or the cause of the pain that I am having. Can anyone explain to me the effects a duplex kidney can have and if the pain I'm having could be linked to that or something different?  

[spongebobkidneypants]

I was diagnosed with duplex kidneys on my right side after my son was born and have constant pain on the right which the doctors cant understand and can do nothing about.  It doesnt help that i keep getting kidney stones on both sides as i have four kidneys.  it has been an ongoing battle for 13years and the only thing i can suggest is that you stand up for yourself when you see a consultant because if they are unsure of something they tend to neglect you.

[lindahand]

Usually a duplex kidney doesn't mean anything except you've got a double kidney. In some instances (like mine) the ureter doesn't attach where it is supposed to (mine attached in the neck of the ureter). The upper pole of my kidney got infected. I was sick as a dog, in pain, and on antibiotics for months. Nothing helped. I got referred to a kidney surgeon. They tried draining the upper pole of the kidney through a tube they placed in my back. That didn't help the pain.

We eventually decided on surgery to remove the upper pole of the duplex kidney. I am the queen of freak reactions so don't let his alarm you. They knicked an artery feeding blood to the kidney during surgery. They had to go from laparoscopic to open surgery to stop the bleeding. The end result was the lower pole of the kidney got damaged to and I lost the kidney. However, once I recovered from surgery I felt great. The pain was gone and my GFR (kidney function) was great.

People can live on one kidney the life of the body. There are quite a few people who do not even realise they have one kidney. I would check for any history of kidney disease in your family though. I ended up developing Chronic Kidney Disease (totally unrelated to the surgery - more likely a genetic component). I do wonder if perhaps I should have learned to live with the pain. But I am the queen of freak reactions. I really do have infinently bad luck. I think my situation happens in less than 1% of cases.

If there was no renal problems in your family history and surgery is presented as an option - I'd do it again. Even knowing about the Chronic Kidney Disease I may have done it again. I was really sick. It is hard to live when you are in that much pain day after day.

But I've also heard that ovarian cysts can cause pain. Kidney pain is right under the ribs in the back inbetween the side of your body and the spine. For me it was about the size of a fist. A very sore and nauseating fist.