How to Treat Hydronephrosis

Hydronephrosis (literally meaning "water on the kidney") is the most common abnormality of the urinary tract and can be diagnosed in early childhood or even before birth. It happens when one or both kidneys become swollen because urine flow is blocked in some way. The result is a low functioning or non-functioning kidney or kidneys.

Treatment involves relieving pressure on the kidneys and removing any blockage to urine flow. If normal kidney function has already been damaged, further therapy such as antibiotics for recurring infections or a temporary or permanent nephrostomy tube to regularly drain the kidneys may be required.

Instructions

Treatment Options

• 1

  Monitor the situation closely. In mild cases of hydronephrosis caused by a very minor obstruction or reflux (a hereditary condition which causes the backward flow of urine from the bladder to back up into the ureters and kidneys), the typical procedure is to monitor the patient regularly as the condition corrects itself. This treatment might also incorporate a low dose of antibiotics to fight infection.

• 2

  Drain the kidney. If the blockage of urine flow is in the urethra or bladder outlet, a small tube (ureteric stent) can be inserted directly into your ureter from the bladder. This bypasses the narrow point where the blockage occurs and allows draining.

  Another way to drain a kidney is by passing a tube (nephrostomy tube) directly through the skin into the kidney and draining the urine into a collection bag. This device can be either temporary or permanent.

• 3

  If severe ureteroplevic junction obstruction (a significant narrowing at the point where the ureter leaves the kidney) is the cause of hydronephrosis, a surgery called a pyeloplasty is performed. This operation removes the obstructed part of the ureter and then re-attaches the healthy ureter to the kidney's collecting part. The surgery is minimally invasive and performed through small incisions in the skin.

• 4

  If kidney stones are the cause of hydronephrosis, endoscopic surgery or lithotripsy may be required to remove the stones.

• 5

  If hydronephrosis is the result of an enlarged or cancerous prostrate which blocks the urethra, treatment might include hormone therapy for prostate cancer or the use of dilators (stretching devices) to enlarge the urethra.