Renal artery stents are treatment options when the blood vessels that feed the kidney are narrowed or have a clot. This reduces the ability of the kidneys to clear the blood stream of waste products and toxins. Renal artery stenosis or renal...
Two renal arteries supply blood to the right and the left kidneys. Partial or complete blockage of the renal arteries decreases blood flow to the kidneys and may lead to kidney damage. Clots usually originate in the heart and travel to the renal...
Hydronephrosis is characterized by a warping or ballooning of the renal pelvis and calyxes in the kidney, caused by increased pressure inside the kidney due to a blockage to the free flow of urine. The renal pelvis is a funnel-like tube that forms...
Some patients define their disease in generalities, saying that they have poor kidney function or that they have bad kidneys. This information is inadequate because there are many different causes of poor kidney function. Knowing the cause of...
Kidneys function to keep your blood healthy. Each day your kidneys process approximately 200 quarts of blood to remove waste products and excess water. If you have renal failure, you may need to follow a special diet, since a normal diet may...
According to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), 1-in-9 Americans has kidney disease. About 26 million American adults have chronic kidney disease, and millions more are at increased risk. Lack of routine screening makes this problem worse...
A cardiac computed tomography angiography scan, or cardiac CT for short, is a diagnostic procedure a doctor can utilize to examine a patient's heart. This technique allows a doctor to visualize the inside of the heart and can enable her to detect...
The kidneys play an important role in the regulation of fluids and electrolytes. If there is a malfunction, as occurs with renal failure, it often leads to an electrolyte imbalance. Because electrolytes are charged particles that play a role in...
Any surgery carries inherent risks, including the risk of excessive bleeding, infection and death. These complications are typically rare, and millions of operations are performed each year without major complications. But the story for...
The blood flow into the kidney is carried from the aorta to the renal artery. As atherosclerotic plaque builds up in the aorta it will extend into the renal artery and slowly decrease the diameter of the artery at its origin. As this process...
Benign renal tumors refer to noncancerous abnormal growths of the kidney that do not metastasize or spread to the rest of the body, reports the American Cancer Society. Though they are not life-threatening in themselves, these tumors can still...
Kidney stones, or renal lithiasis, are caused by many things, including dehydration, according to the Mayo Clinic. Dehydration causes the urine in your urinary tract to become concentrated, increasing the chances that normally occurring salts will...
Metformin, or Glucophage, is a drug commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is available in both short and long-acting forms. RxList reports the most common side effects associated with metformin, occurring in more than 5 percent of...
Physicians and more than 75 national organizations believe that Advance Directives are so important that recently 50 states adopted the first National Healthcare Decisions Day, which takes place on April 16. And What is an Advance Directive? The...
Acute renal failure is a sudden halt in kidney function. According to the Mayo Clinic, your kidney loses the ability to eliminate excess fluid and electrolytes as well as waste material from your blood. This is dangerous because a serious...
The benefits of Medicare are available in a variety of situations, primarily to those who are 65 or older. If you are under 65, you're also entitled to Medicare benefits if you meet special criteria, such as having amyotrophic lateral...
Kidney stones account for more than 650,000 emergency room treatments every year, according to the Urology Center of the Rockies. People develop different kinds of kidney stones because of hereditary, dietary and other factors. Apple juice can...
