a kidney that is abnormally situated in the pelvis, usually over the sacral promontory behind the peritoneum. The condition may be either congenital or secondary to trauma. It is usually asymptomatic, but during pregnancy the flow of urine from a ptotic kidney may be obstructed
Nephroptosis (nephr = kidney + pto = drop + osis = condition of) is also known as a floating or detached kidney. The kidney drops when the person stands up. This is more common in women and more common on the right side.
Nephropexy is the repair of this detached kidney, by which it is tacked or secured to the retroperitoneum.
Ptosis is a medical term meaning abnormal lowering or drooping of the eyelid. It does not really refer to the kidney! However, if one did apply this term to the kidney, it would literally mean abnormal lowering or drooping of the kidney! :)
ptosis
The term meaning to drop is ptosis. It can refer to the breast or other body parts e.g the kidney etc. A breast is described as having ptosis when the level at which the nipple lies is BELOW the fold under the breast.
Ptosis in relation to the kidnery, is when the fatty material surrounding the kidneys is reduced or too meager in amount, the kidneys are less securely anchored to the body wall and may drop to a lower or more inferior position in the abdominal cavity.
If you have a nephroptosis (floating kidney) the repair would be nephropexy or a tacking/securing the kidney to the peritoneum. If you have mastptosis (drooping breasts) then the repair would be mastopexy or a breast lift. The suffix "-pexy" means "to fix in place".
The primary symptom of ptosis is a drooping eyelid.
sinking or drooping
Eyelid ptosis describes a condition where either the upper or lower eyelid droops. Ptosis occurs when the muscles that raise the eyelids become weak.
The technical term for a floating kidney is nephroptosis. The nethro- means kidney and the -ptosis means "droop or sag." Most docs would probably just use the informal name. A floating kidney is when a kidney drops down into the pelvic area when a person stands up. This event is called a prolapse, which is a word that means something has slipped or fallen out of place.
Ptosis may occur because the levator muscle's attachment to the lid is weakening with age.
-osis
Ptosis affect a persons eyes or vision. It is the drooping of a persons eyelid. Ptosis is caused when the muscles that are suppose to raise and lower the eyelid aren't strong enough to do so.
Abdominal ptosis is drooping of the abdomen, as might happen with obesity or post-pregnancy.