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lascivious_boasts t1_j9qe4vg wrote

Reply to comment by FineLetMeSayIt in How can Doctors tell if one of your kidneys isn't working? by FineLetMeSayIt

It's actually much more common for both kidneys to fail together.

The underlying causes of kidney failure tend to be systemic (that is affecting the whole body) rather than local.

The big one is diabetes, and barring a blockage in blood supply to one kidney, the main damage is in all the tiny blood vessels that feed each nephron. This usually happens equally between both sides (although occasionally the renal artery stenosis is more of a problem, in which case one side can get a stent to try to maintain its function).

Other big causes are inflammatory/autoimmune. This means anywhere there's a kidney cell/structure the damage occurs. Broadly, this affects both sides at the same time.

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fiendishrabbit t1_j9tmiei wrote

Though not always. Had a colleague with hereditary PKD and an asymmetric progression (left kidney, non-functional and a huge amount of scar tissue. Enough that they had to remove it when transplanting. Right kidney had been pulling all the weight for the last few years and was now failing as well).

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