Is removing duplex kidney operations complicated?

I am being plagued with UTIs for the last 2+ years, i have been treating them myself with; parsley tea, cranberry juice, dried cranberry, lots of water, half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and glass of water takes the sting out of it and helps keep the UTIs away for a little while. Doctors have prescribed me with long and short-term anti-biotics which i hate taking because it's not good for your intestines or stomach to take strong anti-biotics and Yakult/ Actimel seems to protect your innerds when taking them. I have had a scan which showed i have a right duplex kidney and a tiny kidney stone and every couple of months or weeks i get a UTI and i have been especially hygienic, but i had a few glasses of wine at a works party and bam i got a UTI or when i have sex bam i get a UTI, really annoying and frustrating.... I have to wait till i get another UTI says the doctor and then they will refer me to a kidney consultant, she said there are lots of complications with having an operation to remove all or part of the duplex kidney. I would like to know if i'm going to be on medication for the rest of of my days either way? Please help, thank you :-)

[alaskamommy]

Sounds just like me, I'm sorry to say. I have duplex kidneys and ureters on both sides and have been off and on antibiotics since they discovered it at 3 years old. I'm 28 now. I just had a baby 5 months ago, and I'm nursing, and I really don't want all those antibiotics going through his little system. So I'm pursuing surgery, if need be. I see a urologist next week.
As an encouragement, the antibiotics aren't fun, but I haven't had any health issues related to long-term use, other than the occasional annoying yeast infection.
I feel for you though! I have the same problem of UTI's after sex, every SINGLE time!! So frustrating. It's like I'm being punished or something. Right now I take Septra every other day and if I have intercourse I step it up to every day for a couple days. I've been infection-free since I got on the Septra. Before that, I was on Keflex and the infections got resistant to it and I ended up in the hospital with a kidney infection two weeks before I delivered the baby. Then I had to do IV antibiotics until I had him, every day for those two weeks. What a pain in the neck!
BTW, why do you have to wait until you get yet another infection before they will refer you? Go see someone else! Why wait?
Good luck!

[chelle1985]

i too have these problems. i keep ending up in hospital on morphine because the pain gets so bad!The doctors won't seem to help!went for a scan on my kidneys yesterday and was told i have duplex kidneys on my left side but assured that this would not be causing my UTI problems but i thought i would investigate myself and it seems quite common! Am sick of living with this as i'm sure you are!Good luck hope we get sorted soon!!

[jen25584]

I too have a duplex kidney on my right side! Iv had kidney probs since the age of 3 and only just found out at 26 about this....I have recurrent utis and am due to have my 2nd operation to remove kidney stones...I am always in a and e for morphine and currently take diclofenac tramadol paracetamol and stemetil to help with nausea...I am going to speak to urologist about having the kidney removed as it is diseased xx