Is it possible to live with no kidneys?

Question

I know the functions of the kidney and I've heard of people living with one kidney, but should something happen to that kidney will they die instantly? If not, how long will it take?

Answer 1

Dialysis treatment (3 times a week, 3 to 5 hours each time) can be used to replace lost kidney function. Without the function of kidney, death would occur in a few days.

Answer 2

25% of total kidney mass is needed for survival.  Below that, dialysis can adequately filter the blood for a variable period of time depending on other factors.  I don't have that time frame for you.

Answer 3

People very very rarely "die instantly."  The Human body is a very tough machine.  Even people who have been decapitated appear to have lived, and remained conscious, for a few minutes while the blood drained out of their head. (Source. accounts from the French Revolution, google it).

Kidney's filter the blood. Without a dialysis machine  to do that for someone the toxins in the blood gradually build up, and when they get high enough you get sick, and continue to get sicker till you die. Dialysis patients generally get treatment about once a week, so  I would guess that it would take about three to six weeks to actually kill you, depending on the individual characteristics  of the patient...age, weight, what they eat, etc.

Edit...if dialysis is more often than once a week (apparently I'm wrong there) I would assume you would die sooner.

Answer 4

No, you can't live without kidneys.

Answer 5

A person can not live without no KIDNEYS. Because as u know it work a lot for d body.

By incubator or any machine, a person can live for sometime i.e. 5-6 hrs. but d person is equal to dead. The body is in no use of him/her.

Answer 6

Absence of both kidneys (assuming one is not on haemodialysis) is incompatible with life.  Once there is complete renal failure, death is not instant.  The life expectancy is a function of just how many functional nephrons remain in a given patient.  Death would not be quick at all, more likely on the order of days.