When you first hear this diagnosis, it's scary. But there are a few things you should know.
First, there are three treatment options available. Your renal care team will pick one to match your life-style and physical needs. There are three primary treatment options.
| Kidney transplantation - an operation which places a healthy kidney into your body. |
| Kidney dialysis - a way to remove waste products and excess water from your blood. |
| Non-treatment is also an option. However, the non-treatment choice will lead to death. |
Second, you are the most important member of your renal care team. Other members include your doctor, your nurse, your family, your friends, self-help groups, dialysis clinic personnel, nutritionists or dietitians, and qualified social workers.
Third, you are not alone. By 1995, estimates show that more than 700,000 people worldwide (200,000 people in just the U.S.) will have kidney failure.
You are part of an entire renal care team. So are your doctor, your family, and other health-care people such as a nurse, social worker and dietician. Tap into their knowledge and experience:
Factors to think about when looking at treatment options include:
| Medical condition |
| Life-style |
| Distance from a dialysis center |
| Home setting |
| Helper on hand |
| Family support |
| Emotional concerns |
| Physical abilities |
Blood is pumped outside the body to an artificial kidney machine. The machine cleanses the blood and returns it to the body. Only a small amount of blood is out of the body at any time.
A "fistula" (the surgical linking of an artery to a vein) provides access to blood vessels. So does a "graft" (tubing surgically placed under the skin, linking an artery to a vein). Two needles are placed into the fistula or graft. The needles are then attached by plastic tubing to a special filter. This filter is an artificial kidney called a dialyzer. One needle withdraws blood for cleansing. The other needle returns filtered blood to the body.
A pump pushes blood through the dialyzer. Blood passes on one side of the filter. Solution made by the dialysis machine passes on the other side. The solution draws excess fluid and waste out of the blood. A filter is used with pores large enough to allow wastes to leave. Larger molecules and blood cells cannot pass through the filter.
The average person receives three treatments per week. Each treatment lasts three to four hours. There are two options for hemodialysis
| Home Hemodialysis |
| In - Center or Clinic Hemodialysis |
Peritoneal Dialysis
This form of dialysis occurs inside the body. It uses your peritoneal membrane (the lining of your abdomen) as the filter. For this treatment, a tube called a catheter is surgically placed through the wall of your abdomen.
Special dialysis solution will flow into the peritoneum through the catheter. Waste products and excess fluids pass from the blood, through the peritoneal membrane, into the dialysis solution. Then they are drained from the peritoneal cavity when the dialysis fluid is changed for the next 'exchange'. Peritoneal dialysis can be performed by hand or by using a machine. Tubing and bags are worn only during the solution exchange periods. The number of exchanges per day, and length of time per exchange, varies by person. Usually, Chronic Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) is performed four times a day. Each solution exchange lasts about one-half hour. Assist devices are available to help people with poor vision or with problems using their hands to do CAPD.
During this operation, a healthy donated kidney is placed deep under your skin near your hip bone. In some cases, the nonworking kidneys may be removed to control infection or high blood pressure.
Transplantation is the most "natural" solution to kidney failure. However, the National Kidney Foundation believes that only about 50% of dialysis patients meet the physical requirements for a transplant, or choose this treatment option.
The wait for a healthy kidney can be as short as a few weeks, or as long as two years or more. This depends on kidney availability, and the tissue match with the donor. Transplanted kidneys come from two sources:
| Living donors-family members make the closest tissue matches, or |
| From people who decide to donate their organs when they die. |
This information has been provided by Dialysis Specialists of Amarillo. It is not intended to be a comprehensive discussion of the pros and cons of each type of treatment, but rather to bring up issues that you should discuss with your doctor. We urge you to discuss all treatment options with your health care team. If you have any specific questions you are welcome to contact Dr. Maliha or Dr. Giron at (806) 358-8477.
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This page last updated: 03/22/05