I’ll let the authors begin:
It is clear that Chronic Kidney Disease (GFR <60mls/min) is associated with reduced life expectancy, partly due to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Are we clear? Reduced kidney function = increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Try to remember that when a member of the transplant industry tries to say that living kidney donors have no increased risk of heart disease.
Anyway, so these authors compared two groups: those who had a whole kidney removed, and those who only had part of a kidney removed.
16.7& of those who had a partial nephrectomy had a post-surgical GFR <60.
35.4% of the full nephrectomy group had GFR of <60.
Six months post-nephrectomy. (PS. GFR <60 is considered Stage 3 Chronic Kidney Disease.)
Their conclusion:
Smaller reductions of GFR after partial versus total unilateral nephrectomy are of magnitudes that are significant for overall life expectancy in large cohorts
Stephen KD Hamilton , Grant D Stewart , Alan McNeill , Antony CP Riddick , & Richard Phelps (2014). Renal Function After Unilateral Nephrectomy
Scottish Universities Medical Journal , 3 (2), 22-31
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