Nick Cannon Recovers After Kidney Illness

Karla Robinson, MD

Nick Cannon courtesy of Big Stock Photo

Nick Cannon, the host of the popular show America’s Got Talent is reportedly resting at home following a surgery to treat an illness involving his kidney.  Cannon was hospitalized on January 4^th in Aspen with reported kidney failure and later transferred to an L.A. hospital where he had surgery performed two days later.  While the details surrounding his cause of kidney failure and the type of surgery performed have not been released, acute kidney failure is the sudden loss of normal kidney function and can occur in many situations.

The kidneys are the urine producing organs that are responsible for filtering the blood of waste and toxins in the body, and are also helpful in maintaining the fluid balance.  The
kidney is also necessary for balancing salts and minerals in the body including sodium and potassium.

Common conditions that can lead to sudden kidney failure include acute blood loss, dehydration, infection, kidney stones, and kidney injury due to medication.  While some
cases of acute kidney injury can lead to chronic or longstanding kidney problems, acute kidney failure can often times be reversible with normal kidney function restored.

While some may have little warning, common symptoms of acute kidney failure can include:

•  fatigue
•  nausea and vomiting
•  decreased appetite
•  swelling in the legs and feet
•  decreased urine production
•  low back pain

Surgery, as in the case of Nick Cannon, is not always necessary as a treatment for acute kidney failure.  It may be indicated when the cause of the acute episode is due to a severe infection, kidney stone, tumor, or other abnormal growth that needs to be removed for example.  In some cases, fluid hydration, to correct dehydration may be used as treatment. Because there can be many different causes of acute kidney failure, the
treatments can vary widely.