Wandering kidney symptoms and treatment in women. Wandering kidney how to treat

Nephroptosis- this is pathological mobility of the right, left, or two kidneys at once. If the organ moves beyond the anatomical bed slightly, the disease is asymptomatic. If hemo- and urodynamics are disrupted, pain in the lumbar region, pyelonephritis, hematuria, hydronephrosis, arterial hypertension, and nephrolithiasis appear.

It should be noted that not every displacement of the kidneys falls under the concept of nephroptosis. Normally, during physical activity or during the act of breathing, they can shift to the height of one lumbar vertebra. If the downward displacement of the kidney with a vertical body position exceeds 2 cm, and with forced breathing - 3-5 cm, we can talk about nephroptosis (wandering kidney).

The disease occurs more often in women and, as a rule, is right-sided.

Degrees of nephroptosis

According to the criterion of kidney displacement relative to the physiological norm, three degrees of nephroptosis are distinguished:

• with nephroptosis of the 1st degree, the lower pole of the organ descends by 1.5 lumbar vertebrae;
• with nephroptosis of the 2nd degree, the kidney descends more than 2 lumbar vertebrae;
• with nephroptosis of the 3rd degree, prolapse of the lower pole of the kidney by 3 or more lumbar vertebrae is diagnosed.

Clinical manifestations of the disease do not always characterize the degree of prolapse.

Causes of nephroptosis

Nephroptosis is an acquired disease. Its development provokes a pathological change in the apparatus that holds the kidney. This refers to the peritoneal ligaments, intrinsic fascial and fatty structures, and the renal bed. The mobility of the organ can also be caused by a decrease in its fat capsule and abnormal position of the joints of the renal pedicle.

Other common causes of nephroptosis include:

• sudden loss of body weight;
• performing heavy physical work;
• low muscle tone of the abdominal wall;
• doing strength sports;
• lumbar spine injuries.

Right-sided, left-sided and bilateral nephroptosis can be combined with congenital skeletal anomalies:

• underdevelopment of the ribs;
• violation of the position of the lumbar spine,
• lack of ribs.

In adolescents, kidney prolapse occurs due to a rapid change in body proportions during a period of rapid growth.

The best doctors for the treatment of nephroptosis

If you experience similar symptoms, consult your doctor immediately. It is easier to prevent a disease than to deal with the consequences.

Diagnosis of nephroptosis

Diagnosis of nephroptosis of the left or right kidney is based on:

• inspection data;
• patient complaints;
• results of instrumental and laboratory diagnostics.

If there is a suspicion of kidney prolapse, all studies are carried out with the patient standing and lying down.

• Polypositional palpation of the abdomen makes it possible to assess the displacement and mobility of the kidney.
• Monitoring and measuring blood pressure shows an increase of 15-30 mmHg. Art. when changing body position from horizontal to vertical.
• Urinalysis for kidney nephroptosis shows leukocyturia, erythrocyturia, bacteriuria, proteinuria.
• Ultrasound of the kidneys, performed in a standing and lying position, allows you to study the location of the kidneys and exclude the presence of inflamed tissues and stones.
• Ultrasound diagnostics of kidney vessels is necessary to assess blood flow indicators, visualize the vascular bed of the organ, and determine the degree of hemodynamic impairment.
• Renal venography and angiography are required to examine venous blood flow and the renal artery.
• Radioisotope dynamic nephroscintigraphy is carried out to determine the disturbance of urine passage and the functioning of the organ as a whole.
• Excretory urography is aimed at nephroptosis to determine the degree of pathological prolapse of the kidney in relation to the vertebrae.

If you need to check for organ displacement gastrointestinal tract, additionally, radiography of the stomach, colonoscopy, irrigoscopy, and endoscopy are performed.

Treatment of nephroptosis

Nephroptosis of the 1st degree requires conservative therapy. The patient is recommended to wear special orthopedic devices - corsets, belts, bandages. Also mandatory is therapeutic exercises aimed at strengthening the abdominal and back muscles. If the patient is underweight, he should eat heavily. Physical activity should be limited.

Nephroptosis of the 2nd and 3rd degree, accompanied by severe pain in the lumbar region, nephrolithiasis, pyelonephritis, hydronephrosis, urodynamics, suggests nephropexy - surgical operation performed to fix the kidney to the adjacent area of ​​the posterior abdominal wall and the twelfth rib. After treatment, the patient must remain in bed for a long time.

Contraindications to surgical treatment right-sided and left-sided nephroptosis are:

• splanchnoptosis;
• old age;
• heavy intercurrent background.

Therapeutic exercises for nephroptosis

Exercise therapy helps improve the well-being of a patient with kidney nephroptosis. Of the safest and effective exercises can be distinguished:

• alternately raising straight legs up (starting position - lying on the floor).
• "Bike";
• alternately pulling the legs bent at the knees towards the stomach in a lying position;
• breathing from the diaphragm while lying on the floor. When you inhale, stick your stomach out, and when you exhale, pull it in;
• raising straight legs up, followed by spreading the knees to the sides as you inhale and crossing them as you exhale;
• raising your leg up while lying on your side.

The danger of nephroptosis

When the kidney prolapses, the normal outflow of urine from the renal structures is disrupted. This leads to increased intrarenal pressure and impaired blood circulation in the organ. As a result, hydronephrotic transformation of the kidney may develop.

One more dangerous complication nephroptosis is pyelonephritis, which can occur acutely with severe pain. Torsion of the renal arteries often leads to arterial hypertension, which manifests itself as difficult-to-treat hypertension.

Wandering kidney can provoke the occurrence inflammatory process in the surrounding perinephric tissue, which promotes the development of adhesions between fatty tissue, the kidney capsule and other organs. Scar connections make the kidney poorly mobile and fix it at an even lower level.

In pregnant women, nephroptosis can cause spontaneous miscarriages.

Risk group for nephroptosis

Most often, nephroptosis is diagnosed in individuals with systemic weakness of the ligamentous apparatus and connective tissue:

• myopia;
• visceroptosis;
• joint hypermobility.

People of certain professions are susceptible to the disease:

• loaders (due to carrying heavy loads);
• drivers (due to vibration occurring during driving);
• hairdressers, surgeons (since they spend a lot of time on their feet), etc.

Prevention of nephroptosis

Prevention of nephroptosis includes:

• proper nutrition, reducing the amount of salt consumed;
• correct posture;
• prevention of lumbar injuries;
• strengthening the abdominal muscles;
• refusal of heavy physical work.

This article is posted for educational purposes only and does not constitute scientific material or professional medical advice.

Nephroptosis is a pathology that is characterized by increased mobility of one or both kidneys.

Almost everything internal organs have the ability to shift slightly - thus the ligaments provide shock-absorbing protection from injury.

The kidneys are no exception: when moving, they can move, but normally - only within the ligament-fatty bed that determines their location in human body. Kidney prolapse is an organ extending beyond the lumbar region, which can lead to disruption of its functions and serious complications.

The kidneys descend from the anatomical bed to the pelvic region for one reason: the inability of the ligamentous apparatus to hold the organs in their proper place.

Factors that can provoke ligament failure are, in most cases, acquired rather than congenital in nature:

• a significant reduction in the kidney capsule, consisting of adipose tissue, as a result of sudden loss of body weight (due to diet or disease);
• damage to the tissues surrounding the kidneys due to surgery or trauma;
• age-related weakening of the abdominal, pelvic, and lumbar muscles, usually accompanied by prolapse of other organs;
• in women - multiple pregnancies, bearing several fetuses at once;
• too high loads (heavy physical labor, lifting loads, professional sports);
• long-term exposure external factors(shaking, vibration).

Weakness of the ligamentous apparatus can be caused by a natural pathology: congenital underdevelopment of connective tissues due to a genetic defect.

According to statistics, nephroptosis often develops in people who are forced to spend most of their time in an upright position.

For example, representatives of professions who work “on their feet” - salespeople, hairdressers, teachers, etc. The right kidney is more prone to prolapse because it is anatomically lower than the left.

Species

Types of nephroptosis are divided according to the degree of kidney mobility and the severity of prolapse:

• limited or fixing nephroptosis - the kidney moves due to a decrease in the fat capsule, but within the limits that the ligament allows;
• wandering kidney syndrome - occurs when two conditions are combined: a decrease in fatty tissue around the organ and stretched ligaments.

The severity of nephroptosis is determined by 3 stages:

1. On initial stage development of pathology, the kidney is palpated below the hypochondrium during inspiration and when the body moves from a horizontal to a vertical position. The prolapse is 2–4 cm.
2. The second degree is characterized by a drooping of 4–6 cm in an upright position; in a supine position, the organ returns to its place. At this stage, the ligaments are already significantly stretched, the symptoms of the disease become pronounced: pain appears, changes in tests, pressure increases.
3. The third stage of the disease - the kidney remains displaced to the pelvic region, regardless of body position. The pain is accompanied by infectious complications, functional failure and other dangerous conditions.

A wandering kidney is a disease that can have serious consequences if it is not treated when the first signs appear.

Clinical manifestations and symptoms

The severity of the symptoms of nephroptosis depends on the degree of kidney prolapse.

1. At the beginning of the disease there may not appear severe pain, which take place in a supine position. Discomfort is localized on the side of the affected kidney and can radiate to the abdominal wall.
2. The progression of the pathology is accompanied by intense pain. The kidney tissues are stretched, the vessels and ureters are bent, leading to disruption of blood supply and urine passage. Tests show proteinuria and elevated red blood cells.
3. Advanced nephroptosis manifests itself as constant severe pain that does not subside when changing position. Poor urine flow can cause renal colic, poor blood circulation provokes ischemic processes in the tissues of the organ.

A concomitant symptom of nephroptosis is arterial hypertension - the result of increased synthesis of the renal hormone renin.

Diagnosis of the disease is based on studying the patient’s medical history, external examination, and palpating the organs on both sides in a standing and lying position.

For an experienced doctor, this may be enough to diagnose nephroptosis. To confirm suspicion, blood and urine tests are prescribed, an ultrasound of the kidneys is performed, additional research(contrast urography, computed tomography and MRI).

One of the most common complications of nephroptosis is hydronephrosis. . Read about the causes of congenital and acquired dilatation of the renal pelvis.

Read about the expansion of the renal pelvis in the fetus. You will find out whether it is worth sounding the alarm and whether such a disease requires immediate treatment.

How dangerous is the disease?

Kidney prolapse requires medical care already at an early stage.

If therapy is not started in a timely manner, prolapse will progress and cause irreversible changes in the kidneys.

The most frequent complications, accompanying syndrome wandering kidney are associated with stagnation of urine due to impaired urodynamics:

• the development of cystitis and pyelonephritis, since stagnant urine is a breeding ground for bacterial expansion;
• crystallization of salts contained in urine in high concentrations, with further formation of stones and diagnosis of urolithiasis;
• hydronephrosis caused by the accumulation of fluid in the renal pelvis;
• death renal parenchyma, caused by tissue ischemia due to kinking of the feeding vessels.

Any of the listed complications may result renal failure and organ loss. The patient's condition is constantly complicated by high blood pressure, which is difficult to correct with medications.

Nephroptosis of the 3rd degree in most cases is a direct road to disability with loss of ability to work and the need for transplantation.

Treatment tactics or what to do?

Kidney prolapse, diagnosed at stages 2–3, can no longer be cured conservative methods. It is recommended for such patients surgery.

Surgical treatment

Direct indications for nephropexy surgery are the following symptoms:

• severe hypertension;
• excruciating pain syndrome;
• prolapse of the kidney below the fourth vertebra of the lumbar spine;
• bilateral nephroptosis complicated by infection;
• risk of developing hydronephrosis;
• the appearance of signs of functional failure.

Intervention on the kidneys when they prolapse is carried out using open access or laparoscopic method. The nephropexy operation involves moving the kidney to its “rightful” place, fixing the organ and its anatomical bed to prevent relapse. The kidney is “sutured” to the muscle tissue using absorbable sutures or surgical mesh.

The type, volume, and method of operation are selected by the surgeon depending on the general condition patient, age, severity of the disease and concomitant pathologies.

Before the intervention, therapy is carried out aimed at normalizing blood pressure, eliminating inflammation and infections, and restoring the outflow of urine.

Conservative treatment

The initial stage of prolapse gives the patient a chance to avoid surgery by completely changing their lifestyle. Conservative treatment consists of a whole range of measures and includes:

• renal diet;
• therapeutic exercises;
• wearing a retainer;
• hydrotherapy;
• drug therapy;
• symptomatic therapy.

Nephroptosis, which occurred due to rapid weight loss, can be tried to be eliminated by increasing the volume of the anatomical bed due to fatty tissue, in other words, to gain weight again.

You should try to constantly maintain drooping buds in the correct position:

1. Take a horizontal position as often as possible.
2. Sleep with your legs and pelvis elevated above the level of your torso.
3. Do not get up in the morning until you put on a special corset.
4. Secure the lumbar region with a bandage.

The bandage must be purchased as directed and with the help of a doctor. Wearing a corset is recommended at the first stage of prolapse, when there are no significant problems with blood circulation and urodynamics, there is no pain and adhesions in the abdominal cavity.

At the same time, long-term artificial lumbar support can lead to even greater weakening of the muscular corset. Strengthen pelvic floor, lower back, abdomen - that is, the muscles responsible for keeping the internal organs in a normal position, better with the help of physical therapy.

Exercises for prolapsed kidneys

It is impossible to tone the abdominal and lower back muscles without physical exercise.

Regular performance of special gymnastics allows you to train the tissues on which the location of internal organs in the human body depends.

In addition, physical education helps normalize pressure in the abdominal cavity, which contributes to better fixation of the kidney in the ligamentous fat bed.

One “but”: the patient’s health condition must allow him to perform a feasible load. Severe pain, signs of kidney failure, inflammation are contraindications to exercise. As a rule, gymnastics is prescribed to patients with the 1st degree of nephroptosis.

Exercises for prolapsed kidneys are done by the patient himself at home. It is enough to allocate 30 – 60 minutes a day for training: a half-hour lesson in one or two sessions a day.

1. Take your arms extended along the body to the sides and lower them back. When lifting, inhale; when relaxing, exhale. Repeat 6 times.
2. Raise your arms up, straight legs in turn, raise them to 45 - 90°. Do 5 lifts.
3. Perform the “Bicycle” exercise with legs from a lying position for 2 minutes.
4. Pull your knees to your chest, hug them with your arms and hold for up to a minute, 6 repetitions.
5. Place your palms under your head, bend your legs at the knees and lift them up. By contracting the muscles of the lower abs, push the pelvis up 5 times.
6. The position is the same, pull your bent legs towards your chest, touching your chin with your knees. Do 5 lifts.
7. Raise your legs straight up, do 5 rotations with a large amplitude.
8. Tightening your abdominal and thigh muscles, slowly sit down, then return to the starting position. 5 reps.
9. Raise your pelvis above the floor and perform 5 rocking motions on your back with your legs bent.

In addition to therapeutic exercises with nephroptosis, you can do other static complexes: yoga, Pilates, callanetics, but only with the permission of a doctor.

- this is what pregnant women need to know in order to avoid such a disease. You will learn how dangerous the disease is and how effective physiotherapy is.

It can happen to anyone - about the causes of caliectasis of the kidneys, as well as the symptoms of the disease and treatment methods.

Nutrition and diet

The diet for kidney prolapse is aimed at solving two problems: restoring the fatty tissue surrounding the internal organs and minimizing the load on the urinary system.

If kidney function is not impaired, the first problem is a priority.

Enhanced nutrition is prescribed to people who have lost weight due to strict diet, starvation, diseases, such as anorexia. The diet is high in calories and contains a high level of fats and carbohydrates, which allows you to build up adipose tissue in a short time. Internal fat re-lines the renal bed and helps increase the elasticity of all adjacent tissues.

Presence of symptoms indicating pathological changes in the kidneys - a reason to correct therapeutic diet taking into account the concomitant disease.

As you know, if you have kidney problems, you should not consume a lot of protein, salt, or foods rich in purines, acids, and spicy substances.

You will have to give up fried, smoked, canned foods, reduce meat, fish, legumes and nightshades, broths, fatty cheeses, and vegetables containing oxalic acid in your diet. You need to consume more water, eat permitted vegetables and fruits, and drink fermented milk drinks. If the need to increase body weight remains, the diet should continue to be high in calories.

Traditional medicine

It is not prohibited to treat kidney prolapse with traditional methods. The following recipes are suitable for this:

1. Wash the flax seeds, dry them, and fry them in a frying pan. Eat a handful 3 times a day. Can be replaced with pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
2. Brew summer cypress stems in a ratio of 1 part raw material to 3 parts boiling water. Leave for 12 hours, then take half a spoon four times a day.
3. Add crushed oat straw to water (1 kg of grass per 20 liters) and take a bath.
4. Prepare an infusion of flax seeds, rosehip flowers and echinacea. Brew with boiling water, after 15 minutes the medicine is ready. Drink like tea.
5. Mix 100 gr. honey with a spoon of butter and acorn coffee, add 4 yolks. Take a few teaspoons of the mixture before meals.

Remember that no one folk way unable to return a sagging kidney to its place. The goals of “home” methods are to relieve unpleasant symptoms and generally strengthen the body.

Prevention

In most cases, prolapse of the right or left kidney is the result of excessive negative effects on the body. Measures to prevent nephroptosis include proper lifestyle:

• maintain a balanced diet and regimen;
• do physical exercise;
• give up strict diets and fasting;
• if you want to lose weight, do it gradually, combining healthy eating and sports;
• avoid lifting heavy objects and heavy loads;
• protect yourself from injury;
• develop correct posture;
• wear a bandage during pregnancy.

These simple principles will help you prevent kidney prolapse.

Video on the topic

25.03.2016

The kidney, like other human organs, is fixed inside the body. In this particular case, the attachment occurs using the renal pedicle and bed, and the kidney shell itself is attached to the side of the spine.

Nephroptosis is a prolapse of the kidney, in which the organ is displaced more than two vertebrae down from its normal position. If the right kidney is lowered, then in some cases it may not return to its original position.

Causes of kidney prolapse

There are various reasons, as well as the stages of kidney prolapse. Before you start treatment, make sure your symptoms match. So, the symptoms causing kidney prolapse:

• unexpected weight loss;
• lumbar injuries with the occurrence of a hematoma in the kidney area;
• heavy physical labor, consisting of lifting weights (especially for women);
• infectious kidney diseases.

Symptoms of kidney prolapse in women appear more often than in men, and, accordingly, more serious consequences. The reasons lie in more elastic connective tissue, as well as weak abdominal muscles.

Types of kidney prolapse

There are various degrees and stages of kidney prolapse. Depending on the degree of kidney mobility, the following should be distinguished:

• fixing;
• moving view of a drooping kidney ( this pathology also called wandering kidney).

There are three stages of development of the fixing type. Their symptoms are:

• first stage symptoms - bottom part The kidney leaves the hypochondrium during inhalation and returns to its original position when exhaling. A similar movement occurs when a person’s body suddenly changes from horizontal to vertical. Treatment in this case will be the most effective;
• symptoms of the second stage - the kidney moves to the pelvic region. As a result of increased pressure in the renal vessels, protein and red blood cells are present in the urine. This period is quite painful; the patient may have symptoms such as colic and a dull aching pain. In this case, you need to start treatment immediately, as the consequences can be very negative;
• symptoms of the third stage are stretching of the renal pedicle and its further twisting. Consequences can manifest themselves in the form of difficulty in excreting urine and the occurrence of infectious complications.

Symptoms of a prolapsed kidney

Symptoms of kidney prolapse directly depend on the degree of neglect of the process. In the first degree, a person may not suspect that treatment is required. Not always initial stages accompanied by painful processes and changes in biochemical blood parameters. In some cases, the causes of this phenomenon can provoke pain in the lumbar region, which quickly passes. If pain occurs rarely, it is difficult to determine its cause and prescribe appropriate treatment.

At the onset of the second degree of prolapse, aching sensations occur. constant pain, which become strong enough, they deprive a person of his ability to work, lead to loss of appetite and a depressive state.

Dangers of kidney prolapse

If appropriate treatment is not prescribed, especially with the last degree of kidney prolapse, this can lead to the following consequences:

• lack of treatment leads to hydronephrosis, pyelonephritis and urolithiasis. In this case, no special symptoms may be observed, but the process will already have started, and over time it will be too late to do anything;
• a moving kidney can cause termination of pregnancy - miscarriage;
• loss of ability to work;
• stroke and arterial hypertension.

Treatment of kidney prolapse

What to do after you have determined the causes and degrees of kidney prolapse? Of course, start timely treatment, and you can choose what exactly to do: use folk or traditional methods.

Treatment consists of no shaking, heavy physical activity, or jumping. What can I do to ease the load on my kidneys? Reduce your consumption of meat and salt, you can follow a special diet for your kidneys, which should be prescribed by your doctor.

If there are no indications for implementation surgical intervention, then you can fix the kidney; in this case, it is recommended to use special lumbar bondage. It is recommended to put it on only in a supine position, tightening it while inhaling, otherwise the reasons for non-compliance with the rules may lead to a worsening of the condition. If the patient is underweight, then it is necessary to adhere to a special diet. Increasing the volume of the fat layer will allow you to cope with the disease faster.

You can use various painkillers, antispasmodics, take warm baths and sleep with your legs slightly elevated. One of the most important elements in the treatment of such a disease is LCF. This exercise will allow you to fix the kidney in one position, eliminating the possibility of its further prolapse.

If kidney prolapse occurs below the 4th lumbar vertebra, then surgical intervention is necessary. Also, indications for surgery may include severe pain, irreversible impairment of kidney function, and increased blood pressure in the renal system.

Traditional methods of treatment

Traditional methods will be effective only if there is no need for surgical intervention. Such methods can be an excellent prevention of complications, reducing pain symptoms, but they will not be able to return the drooping kidney to its previous state. So here are some of the most effective recipes to treat a prolapsed kidney at home:

• Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds and any nuts can be beneficial. Flaxseeds need to be washed with drinking water clean water, sprinkle with powdered sugar and fry in a dry frying pan. Take orally three times a day, a teaspoon, chewing well;
• Grind the stems of Kochia broom and pour boiling water in a ratio of 1:3. Brew the resulting mixture for about 12 hours, then strain thoroughly. Drink the resulting liquid three times a day, a quarter of a tablespoon;
• Now let's move on to taking healing baths. Chop oats and straw, mixing with water in a ratio of 1:20. The resulting mixture should be boiled over low heat for about an hour, then allowed to brew for several hours. The resulting solution should be used in its pure form for taking a bath;
• pour boiling water over a mixture of flax seeds, echinacea flowers, rosehip petals, and knotweed and leave for about 15 minutes. Take three times a day for one month.

Physical exercises for kidney prolapse

The basis for the cure for nephroptosis is special gymnastics. There are a number certain exercises which should be done at least once a day. The proposed complex allows you to strengthen the muscles of the lower back and abdomen, while stabilizing the position of the kidney in the peritoneum.

• "martin". Starting position: lying on your stomach, legs together, straightened, arms extended to the sides, palms down. At the same time, we lift our arms, head, straight legs and chest off the floor as much as possible. We hold this position for 1–3 seconds, then lower ourselves. You need to do the exercise without jerking, smoothly. It is recommended to do 10–15 repetitions. If your physical fitness is weak, you can only lift your legs, arms and head. Important: legs should not be bent at the knees;
• Starting position: lie on your back, arms lie along your body, palms down. We lift each leg in turn, without bending the knees. Repeat 10 times for each leg;
• lie on your back, pull your legs towards your stomach, bending your knees. Repeat at least 10 times. There is a simpler option - an identical exercise, but perform it for each leg in turn;
• lying on your left and then on your right side, raise your straight leg as high as possible, repeat 8–10 times;
• for the exercise you will need a small ball: in a lying position, you should squeeze the ball between your legs above your knees, holding it in a compressed position for 8-10 seconds. Repeat several times.

Depending on your physical fitness and health status, you can expand the set of exercises. It must be remembered that first of all you should pay attention to the oblique, lateral, rectus abdominis muscles and the muscle that straightens the spine. These muscles make it possible to achieve a powerful frame that will protect against prolapse of the kidneys, stabilizing its position.

Prevention of kidney prolapse

Sport will be an excellent prevention of kidney prolapse. Morning daily exercises, so-called exercises, can strengthen the muscles of the whole body, helping them better cope with heavy unexpected loads. In addition to such exercises, you can also use evening or morning jogging, cycling, swimming in the pool, as well as other types of active lifestyle.

It is recommended to pay attention to the lumbar region special attention, since a strong press is a reliable guarantee against pinching of the spinal nerve, prolapse of the kidneys and protrusions intervertebral discs. A person should not be afraid of regular exercise, because this will protect him from possible kidney prolapse when lifting weights.

People with the first stage of nephroptosis are recommended to visit a nephrologist at least once a year, take urine tests and undergo an ultrasound of the kidneys. This will allow timely adjustment of treatment, preventing the subsequent development of the disease.

Nephroptosis is a urological disease that affects the urinary system, resulting in active mobility of the organ and its gradual prolapse. A wandering kidney (nephroptosis) is the first sign of urolithiasis, arterial hypertension, pyelonephritis, hepatic colic and others urological diseases. In this article we will tell you why a floating kidney is dangerous, we will analyze the symptoms of the pathology and treatment methods.

Characteristics of nephroptosis

There are acceptable standards for organ mobility; they allow the kidney to shift by 1-2 vertebrae during the process of breathing and changing posture. If this norm exceeds the permissible value, nephroptosis or kidney mobility is established. Pathology can occur in two ways:

• fixed nephroptosis - characteristic feature consists in lowering the organ and its strong fixation;
• - a characteristic feature is vertical displacement and constant movement of the organ from side to side.

For information! The pathology “walking kidney” is quite complex and has various complications.

According to statistics, women suffer more often than men from this disease, this is caused by the peculiarity anatomical structure. As a rule, the disease manifests itself in adulthood. Displacement of the right kidney occurs more often than the left, this is due to physiological feature and with an undeveloped fixation apparatus of the organ.

For information! Only 10% of nephroptosis is bilateral.

It is worth noting that fixation of the kidneys in a certain place occurs subject to such factors as:

• presence of renal fascia;
• support of the renal bed, consisting of the quadratus lumbar and psoas muscles;
• the renal vascular system, which provides interaction with the aorta and inferior vena cava.

Factors affecting kidney mobility

As already mentioned, the right kidney is most susceptible to mobility; in the process of its displacement, the connecting plates and the angle between them increase in size. This disorder is caused by a physiological feature of the structure of the organ. The main factors influencing the formation of kidney mobility include:

• predisposition, heredity to the formation of pathology;
• injuries, bruises, damage to kidney tissue;
• feeling of tension during bowel movements;
• physical exercises, jumping;
• long walking;
• constant and intense coughing attacks;
• low weight, reduction in body fat with sudden weight loss;
• weakened, stretched abdominal walls during the second and subsequent pregnancy;
• untrained muscle mass abdominal wall.

Symptoms of the disease

The main difficulty in identifying nephroptosis is the absence of characteristic and pronounced symptoms. As a rule, the development, course, variations and severity of the symptom complex are individual in each case. The most common symptoms include:

• fatigue, weakness, insomnia, frequent dizziness;
• constipation, diarrhea, feeling of heaviness in the abdomen, bloating, decreased or complete absence appetite;
• frequent mood swings, hysteria, hypochondria, neuralgia of the femoral, regional and sciatic nerves;
• presence of hematuria, increased and rapid heartbeat, sharp jumps blood pressure;
• the formation of pyelonephritis, cystitis, urethritis, pain similar to renal colic, heaviness in the affected side of the lower back, the presence of protein in urine is possible;
• pain in the kidney area, the main feature is the disappearance or reduction in the lying position.

For information! Increased mobility on the right side is striking right side, left - left part.

Stages of nephroptosis

There are three main stages of a prolapsed kidney, which are characterized by certain symptoms. Stages of nephroptosis:

• Stage 1 - it is characterized by the kidney extending to a third of the hypochondrium; this deviation is clearly palpable when inhaling, but when exhaling it returns to its original position;
• Stage 2 - accompanied by mobility of the organ, which is easily palpable in a standing position, due to its complete exit from the hypochondrium. In the supine position, the organ returns to its original position;
• Stage 3 - the kidney extends completely beyond the hypochondrium and shifts to the pelvic area, as a result of which the ureter bends, the renal-pelvic system expands and hypoxia and stagnation of urine develop.

Important! When the kidney walks, bending, stretching and twisting occurs renal vessels, this occurs due to the strong mobility of the organ around its stem.

Any violations vascular system kidney causes urostasis, venous insufficiency, stagnation of urine, and also creates a favorable environment for the formation of infection of the urinary system.

Diagnostics

To confirm or refute the diagnosis of nephroptosis, the attending physician prescribes a comprehensive diagnosis and laboratory test. The diagnostic complex consists of:

• history consisting of possible kidney injuries, hereditary predisposition, severe physical work, causing nephroptosis;
• thorough clarification of symptoms, in case of sudden weight loss, establishing a connection between pathology and changes in the patient’s health;
• performing palpation of the organ in a vertical and horizontal position, the kidney is easily palpable;
• undergoing excretory urography, which allows you to determine the stage of the disease, structure, size, degree of displacement and severe kidney dysfunction;
• ultrasound examination, which determines the exact location of the organ and its structural changes;
• duplex diagnostics and angiography, which helps determine pathological disorders;
• Isotope renography allows us to identify the functional state.

For information! Survey x-ray eliminates the possibility of prolapse or displacement of other abdominal organs.

You can learn more about diagnosing a prolapsed kidney from the video

Treatment methods

Drug treatment for nephroptosis is not provided, therefore, as a rule, drug relief of pathological complications is used.

For information! Early diagnosis wandering kidney allows you to return the organ to its place with the help of a special medical bandage.

The treatment method for nephroptosis consists of symptomatic, etiological and palliative methods.

Symptomatic method

The main task of the method is to eliminate individual symptoms that have arisen, namely:

• elimination of neuralgia with the help of anti-inflammatory drugs, multivitamins that contain vitamin B;
• elimination of infection in the urinary system using antimicrobial agents;
• development and progression pain syndrome eliminated with the help of painkillers and antispasmodics.

Etiological method

Etiological treatment involves surgical intervention; it is performed quite rarely and as a last resort, when none of the methods helps. During the operation, the doctor fixes the kidney using special fibers of the psoas muscle. Scientific language this operation called nephropexy.

For information! IN modern medicine Laparoscopy is used as a surgical intervention.

Palliative method

The main objective of the technique is aimed at quickly eliminating pain, discomfort and suffering of the patient. The essence of the therapy is to constantly wear a medical bandage or corset, which tightly fixes the organ and prevents it from moving around.

For information! The disadvantage of a medical bandage is that when it is long-term wearing The abdominal and back muscles weaken.

Additionally, a specialist may be appointed physical therapy and procedures in sanatorium conditions. In any case, treatment and selection medicines assigned only after passing complex diagnostics and laboratory research.

Remember, successful therapy depends on timely diagnosis and its further prevention and exclusion of relapse of the pathology. Launched form renal pathology provides negative impact on the weight of the human body and causes irreversible disturbances in all important processes.

A wandering kidney is one of the forms of nephroptosis. With this disease, pathological mobility of one or both organs is observed.

Human kidneys

The mobility of the kidney within one vertebra is considered normal (this is 1 - 2 cm) with breathing movements or change of position. If the displacement of the organ exceeds this value, then they speak of a wandering kidney or nephroptosis.

This disease can occur in several ways. Sometimes the organ simply lowers and is fixed in this position. This is fixed nephroptosis.

If the organ, in addition to displacement along the vertical axis, easily moves from side to side, then this condition in clinical practice is called “wandering kidney”.

This type of nephroptosis is more severe. It is characterized by development quite large quantity various complications.

In force anatomical features women in to a greater extent suffer from a wandering kidney than men. This condition is also very common in old age.

Anatomical features

Physiologically, the right kidney is located slightly lower than the left; in addition, its fixing apparatus is less developed. For this reason, displacement of the right kidney is observed more often (in approximately 80% of cases).

About 10% of cases of this disease are bilateral.

Reasons

The main cause of a wandering kidney is the weakness of the fixing apparatus of the organ. It consists of the following elements:

• fatty and fibrous capsules connected to it, which cover the organ from the outside and perform a protective function;
• ligaments inside the abdominal cavity;
• muscles of the lumbar region.

They form the so-called renal bed, the structure of which is different in men and women. In representatives of the stronger sex it is conical and narrowed downward, while in the female half of the population it is cylindrical and wide.

Among the reasons that lead to disruption of the structure of the fixation apparatus and the appearance of wandering kidney syndrome are:

• Losing weight too quickly due to poor diet, stress or illness. This leads to rapid depletion of the fat capsule of the organ;
• genetically determined pathologies of the structure of muscle fibers and connective tissue;
• regular excessively intense physical activity, heavy lifting;
• severe injury;
• mild, but regular, traumatic effects. A striking example of this is the appearance of a wandering bud against the background severe cough with whooping cough;
• complicated multiple or repeat pregnancy with underdeveloped abdominal muscles;
• atony muscle tissue in old age, however, in this case, in addition to nephroptosis, pathological mobility of other organs is also observed;
• curvature of the spine.

People who suffer from chronic diseases are also at risk. inflammatory diseases kidney

Stages of disease development

The shift does not occur abruptly, sometimes from the onset of the disease to the appearance significant symptoms Quite a lot of time passes for the wandering bud.

Sometimes, in the absence of a traumatic effect on the organ, the disease may remain at the initial stage and not manifest itself in any way.

The initial stage of a wandering kidney consists of a slight displacement of the organ, which is observed during breathing. That is, it goes down when you inhale, but when you exhale it returns to its place.

If the person is of thin build, then a qualified doctor will even be able to palpate the organ through the abdominal wall.

Causes of nephroptosis

Over time, nephroptosis progresses. Prolapse of the kidney is observed not only during breathing movements, but also in a vertical position.

However, it returns to its normal location after the person lies down. Starting from this stage, the manifestation moves not only up and down, but also twists around its axis.

The third stage is the most difficult. The organ is displaced very much, and no longer returns to its place when it assumes a horizontal position.

Sometimes there is a shift to the pelvic area. With a wandering kidney, there is a high risk of compression of the ureters and blood vessels. This causes gradual atrophy of the kidney tissue.

Symptoms

Clinical manifestations of a wandering kidney depend on the stage of the disease. Moreover, as nephroptosis progresses, the symptoms become more severe.

At the initial stage, only minor dull pain in the lumbar region may be observed after physical exertion or intense movements. Painful sensations passes after assuming a horizontal position.

Over time, the pain increases, especially when other diseases are associated with the wandering kidney. There are changes in clinical analysis urine: the level of protein and red blood cells increases.

Renal colic

The third stage of the wandering kidney is very difficult. Pain of the nature of renal colic occurs, which no longer disappears even when the person lies down.

Due to compression of the urinary tract and blood vessels, it often develops chronic pyelonephritis. In addition to pain, it also manifests itself with severe fever.

Rising blood pressure, due to the decrease functional work kidneys, general health worsens.

Diagnostics

The main danger of a wandering kidney is that due to blurred symptoms, the disease is very rarely detected on early stages.

Nephroptosis can be suspected based on general structure person (excessive thinness) and based on medical history.

Diagnostics

When performing an ultrasound, it is necessary to compare the results of the examination performed in a horizontal and vertical position.

The most informative are considered X-ray studies using contrast. Moreover, all photographs must be taken both lying down and standing.

A radioisotope examination will show the degree of kidney function, and angiography will show the degree of damage to the blood vessels.

To exclude the possibility of prolapse of other abdominal organs, a survey x-ray is taken.

Treatment

There is no medical treatment for a wandering kidney. Only drug relief of emerging complications is possible.

If a wandering kidney is diagnosed in the early stages, then regularly wearing a special bandage will help return the organ to its physiological position.

You need to put it on in the morning, lying on your back on a hard surface. Before fastening, you need to exhale deeply.

The main disadvantage of the bandage is the weakening of the abdominal and lumbar regions. To prevent this, it is necessary to do special gymnastics. By the way, such exercises will help return the wandering kidney to its place.

The most effective are considered to be the well-known “bicycle”, straight leg raises while lying on your back, and “scissors”.

Therapeutic exercise

Strengthening your back with the “swallow” exercise is also very useful. To do this, lying on your stomach, you need to lift your arms and legs off the floor and maintain this position for as long as possible.

However, it is better to start gymnastics under the supervision of a qualified specialist in a special exercise therapy room, and only then do it yourself.

They also limit any physical activity and prescribe a kidney-friendly diet.

If all of the above methods are ineffective, an operation is performed, which is called nephropexy. It is performed laparoscopically through small incisions on the surface of the abdominal cavity.

In this case, the surgeon has the opportunity to visually monitor the progress of the operation. During the manipulation, the wandering kidney is attached to adjacent tissues.

Previously, abdominal surgery was performed for these purposes, which threatened the development of various complications and long postoperative recovery.

Prevention

Basic preventive measures To prevent displacement of the kidneys, they consist of strengthening the muscles of the back and abdomen. In addition, you should dose physical activity and relate it to your physical condition.