Can You Live Without Kidneys? Life Expectancy and Care

The human body contains several organs we can survive without. From the appendix to the gallbladder, certain organs can be removed with minimal long-term effects. But what about the kidneys, those bean-shaped organs working constantly to filter your blood?

The question of whether you can live without kidneys has become increasingly relevant as chronic kidney issues affect millions of people worldwide. While kidneys perform functions critical to survival, the answer may surprise you. The body’s ability to adapt allows for life with one kidney, and even without both, though the path forward looks very different in each scenario.

Key Article Findings

You can live with one kidney and maintain a normal life expectancy, as the remaining kidney adapts to handle increased workload.
Living without both kidneys requires dialysis or transplantation to perform essential filtering functions.
Dialysis can sustain life for years or decades, though it requires regular treatment sessions and lifestyle adjustments.
Understanding kidney function helps you take steps to care for these vital organs throughout your life.

Can You Live Without Kidneys?

Yes, but the answer depends on which scenario we’re discussing. Your kidneys filter roughly 200 quarts of blood daily, removing waste products and excess fluid while balancing electrolytes in your system. They also play a role in red blood cell production and regulating blood pressure throughout your body.

These functions make kidneys critical to survival. However, one healthy kidney can perform these tasks effectively, allowing people to live full lives with just one. Living without both kidneys presents a different challenge entirely.

Without any kidney function, waste products accumulate in your bloodstream within hours, creating a life-threatening situation. Medical intervention through dialysis becomes essential to perform the filtering work your kidneys once handled naturally.

What Happens When One Kidney Is Removed?

Many people live with a single kidney for various reasons. Some are born with only one through a condition called renal agenesis, while others experience kidney dysplasia where two kidneys are present but only one functions properly. Surgical removal may occur following injury, malignant cell growth, or kidney donation to help someone in need.

When one kidney is removed, the remaining organ undergoes a process called compensatory hypertrophy. The kidney enlarges and increases its filtering capacity, eventually handling the workload of two kidneys.

Research shows that the remaining kidney can increase in size by approximately 35% within weeks, with blood flow expanding by about 20% to support the increased workload. Most people with one kidney experience normal life expectancy and few health complications.

The key difference involves taking extra precautions to protect your remaining kidney through healthy lifestyle choices and regular monitoring. For more detailed information about adapting to life with a single kidney, you can explore our guide on living with one kidney.

What Happens When Both Kidneys Are Removed?

Complete kidney failure creates an urgent medical situation. Without functioning kidneys, your body cannot eliminate waste products or maintain proper fluid and electrolyte balance. Toxins build up in your bloodstream, affecting other organs and bodily systems.

Within days, this accumulation becomes dangerous without intervention. The body simply cannot sustain itself without some form of kidney function, whether natural or artificial. This is where dialysis becomes not just helpful, but absolutely necessary for survival.

How Long Can You Live Without Kidneys?

How long can you live without kidneys depends entirely on whether you receive dialysis treatment. Without any form of kidney replacement therapy, survival time is measured in days to weeks at most. The body cannot function as waste products accumulate rapidly in the bloodstream.

With regular dialysis, however, people can live for many years. Life expectancy varies based on several factors including age at the start of treatment, overall health status, and the type of dialysis received. Research shows that individuals starting dialysis at age 40 may live an average of 20 to 30 years with proper treatment.

Those beginning treatment later in life typically have shorter survival times. The average five-year survival rate for people on dialysis is approximately 42% for hemodialysis and 52% for peritoneal dialysis, though many individuals live well beyond these averages.

Dialysis: A Lifesaving Substitute

Dialysis artificially performs the filtering function your kidneys once handled. Hemodialysis, the most common type, uses a machine to filter blood outside your body before returning it to your bloodstream. This typically requires three sessions per week, each lasting three to five hours.

Peritoneal dialysis takes a different approach, using the lining of your abdomen to filter blood internally. A special fluid is introduced into your abdominal cavity, absorbs waste products, and is then drained away. This method can often be performed at home daily.

Do You Need Both Kidneys to Live?

The short answer is no. One healthy kidney provides sufficient filtering capacity for normal bodily function. This might seem wasteful from a design perspective, but having two kidneys offers important advantages.

The redundancy ensures that if one kidney becomes compromised through injury or malignant cell growth, you have a backup system already in place. Your body doesn’t need to scramble to adapt because the second kidney is already operational. This built-in insurance policy has helped countless people survive kidney problems that would otherwise prove fatal.

Why Do We Need 2 Kidneys?

Having two kidneys provides a survival advantage by creating redundancy in a critical system. If early humans lost one kidney to injury or infection, they could still survive and reproduce, passing their genes to future generations.

From a functional standpoint, two kidneys also share the filtering workload, potentially reducing wear on each individual organ over a lifetime. The backup system means that even if one kidney operates at reduced capacity, the second can compensate. This redundancy extends to many paired organs in your body, from lungs to ovaries.

Living Without Kidneys: Long-Term Realities

Life on dialysis requires significant adjustments to daily routines and lifestyle habits. Treatment schedules must be maintained consistently, as missing sessions allows toxins to build up dangerously. Dietary changes become necessary to limit potassium, phosphorus, and sodium intake since your body can no longer regulate these minerals naturally.

Fluid consumption often requires monitoring to prevent overload between treatments. The emotional aspects of living without kidneys can be challenging. Many people experience fatigue after dialysis sessions and must plan activities around treatment schedules.

However, advances in dialysis technology continue to improve quality of life. Home dialysis options offer greater flexibility, and many people on dialysis maintain careers, hobbies, and active social lives. Kidney transplantation remains the preferred long-term solution when possible, offering freedom from dialysis and improved life expectancy compared to staying on dialysis indefinitely.

Natural Ways to Care for Kidney Health

Prevention remains the best approach to maintaining kidney function throughout your life. Staying well-hydrated helps your kidneys efficiently flush waste products from your system. Limiting processed foods high in sodium and added sugars reduces the workload on your kidneys.

Regular physical activity helps maintain healthy blood pressure, which protects kidney tissue from damage over time. Maintaining awareness of your kidney health through periodic check-ups allows for early intervention if problems develop.

Caring for your kidneys naturally may include targeted nutritional approaches. Our collection of supplements for kidney health features carefully formulated options designed to help maintain kidney function. These formulations may help promote healthy filtration, fluid balance, and the body’s natural waste elimination processes. Combined with lifestyle modifications, these supplements can be part of a comprehensive approach to kidney wellness.

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Whether you currently have two healthy kidneys or are managing life with one, taking steps to care for kidney function can help maintain your quality of life for years to come.

Conclusion

The body’s ability to adapt to kidney loss demonstrates remarkable resilience. While you can live without kidneys through dialysis or with just one functioning kidney, understanding these organs’ importance encourages care and attention. Modern medicine has made living without kidneys possible through dialysis techniques, yet prevention remains vital. By caring for your kidney health today through thoughtful lifestyle choices, you invest in your long-term wellbeing.

Can you live without both kidneys?

Yes, but only with regular dialysis treatment or kidney transplantation. Without functioning kidneys and no medical intervention, survival is not possible beyond a few days.

How long can someone live without dialysis?

Without dialysis, a person with complete kidney failure typically survives only days to weeks. The exact timeline varies based on overall health and the extent of kidney function loss.

What is life like on dialysis?

Dialysis requires regular treatment sessions that take several hours, typically three times weekly for hemodialysis. Most people adapt well and maintain active lives despite schedule constraints and dietary modifications.

Is kidney transplant always required if you have no kidneys?

No, transplant is not required. Many people live on dialysis for years or decades. Transplant is preferred when possible due to improved quality of life and survival rates compared to remaining on dialysis.

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Westland, R., Schreuder, M. F., Ket, J. C., & van Wijk, J. A. (2014). Clinical implications of the solitary functioning kidney. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 9(5), 978-986.

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McArdle, Z., Schreuder, M. F., Moritz, K. M., Denton, K. M., & Singh, R. R. (2020). Physiology and pathophysiology of compensatory adaptations of a solitary functioning kidney. Frontiers in Physiology, 11, Article 725.

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2020.00725/full

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https://www.kidney.org/kidney-topics/living-one-kidney

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https://usrds-adr.niddk.nih.gov/2021

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