Kidney Failure Treatments
If your kidneys fail, waste substances build up in your blood, and you lose the ability to regulate water and ion levels—which is life-threatening. Fortunately, there are treatments available.
Dialysis is a treatment that filters your blood artificially. During dialysis, your blood flows between partially permeable membranes surrounded by dialysis fluid. This fluid contains the same concentration of useful substances as healthy blood, so only wastes and excess water diffuse out. Many patients need three 3-4 hour sessions weekly.
A kidney transplant is the only permanent cure for kidney failure. Healthy kidneys can come from deceased donors or living donors (since we have two kidneys, a healthy person can donate one).
Transplants provide a better quality of life than dialysis and are cheaper in the long run. However, there's a shortage of donor organs, and recipients must take medication to prevent rejection. Dialysis is more readily available but requires ongoing treatment, has more side effects, and significantly impacts daily life.
🩺 While waiting for a transplant, some patients can use home dialysis machines that allow them to receive treatment while sleeping, giving them more freedom during the day.