What Is Nephroptosis?
Nephroptosis, also known as renal ptosis, wandering kidney, or floating kidney, is a medical condition that causes increased mobility in your kidneys. It occurs when one or both kidneys move downward about 5 cm out of the normal position in the abdomen when you stand up. There are two kidneys in the human body. These bean-shaped organs play a key role in filtering waste and toxins the blood and removing them in the urine. They are located in the abdominal area, on each side on the spine and right below your rib cage. In most cases, nephroptosis does not cause any serious symptoms. Therefore, people with this condition do not need any medical treatment. More severe cases would require laparoscopic nephoropexy, a surgical procedure to return the kidneys to their right position. [1]