Are you or any of your known people suffering from kidney disease, and stuck between the thought of getting dialysis done or going for a kidney transplant?
Well, Karetrip is here to help you out take a wise and informed decision keeping all the pros and cons of both procedures in mind.
Both dialysis and kidney transplant are done when the kidney gradually loses its natural capability to filter out the harmful toxins from blood.
When Do You Need Dialysis?
One needs dialysis when their own kidneys are unable to flush out the toxin from the blood. Dialysis is an artificial way of clearing out the harmful toxins from the body.
This is done by inserting tubes and needles to bring out the poisonous blood, pure it out by an artificial dialyzer and then return it back for circulation into the body. There are several stages of kidney damage. One needs dialysis at the end stage of it.
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The procedure takes around 4-5 hours. It is to some extent costly than medications but it charges less than the kidney transplants.
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Dialysis is predisposed by uncontrolled diabetes which causes diabetic nephropathy, which means the tiny nephrons or functional units of kidneys are destroyed.
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Dialysis is usually a safe procedure. It is one of the options to keep you alive if you have end stage kidney failure.
Side effects of Dialysis are:
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Dry and itchy skin
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Nausea and vomiting
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Low blood pressure (if you have diabetes)
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Easy muscle cramps
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Frequent infections
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Depression or mood swings
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Fatigue and tiredness.
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Sleep problems
Dialysis needs to be done three times a week to get the best results.
Who Needs A Kidney Transplant?
When a person reaches the stage of permanent damage to the kidneys, the only option other than continued dialysis is kidney transplant.
Some conditions of the kidneys that may lead to transplant are:
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Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) or any other inherited kidney disorders.
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Repeated episodes of urinary infections.
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Kidney failure caused by uncontrolled diabetes or prolonged high blood pressure.
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Glomerulonephritis, or inflammation of the kidneys' filtering units due to infection.
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Haemolytic uremic syndrome, a rare disorder that causes kidney failure
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Lupus and other autoimmune diseases cause kidney failures.
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Obstructions in kidneys.
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Birth defects in kidneys.
Kidney transplantation comes with lots of conditions and complications regarding the donor kidney and how it reacts with the recipient’s body. Let’s see those factors one by one.
Conditions of successful kidney transplantation:
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Getting a perfectly matched donor.
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Patient’s body rejects the transplant due to the body's natural tendency to reject any foreign body.
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Putting the patient on immunosuppressive medications for several years to trick the body into accepting the transplanted kidney.
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Overall good health and a healthy BMI.
Complications after getting donor kidney transplanted into the recipient’s body may include:
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Non-functioning of the new kidney initially.
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Bleeding from the site of surgery.
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Increased chances of infection due to reduced immunity.
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Leakage of urine into the body cavity or blockage of urine in the ureter.
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Blockage of the blood vessels to the newly attached kidney.
Dialysis vs Transplant
We must remember that both dialysis and kidney transplant are the treatment options of a failed kidney, which is unable to filter out the toxins from the blood to keep the body healthy.
| Dialysis | Transplant |
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| This is the temporary solution to non-functioning kidney | This is the permanent solution to restore the functionality of the kidneys. |
| It needs to be done 3 times a week for several years. | One successful kidney transplant is enough to live a healthy life. |
| It restores only 10-15% of the function of damaged kidneys. | It restores 60-80% of the function of the healthy kidney. |
| Patients must be on a strict diet to counter the side effects. | Patients need not follow a strict diet for long. |
| No need to consume immunosuppressants. | Patient needs to be on immunosuppressants for a long. |
| Less freedom to work and travel | More freedom to travel and work |
| No shortage of treatment options | Shortage of donors. |
While there are several opinions, one school of thought thinks that it is always best to go for transplant while waiting for the perfect or near perfect match. Till then, one must carry on with dialysis to cleanse the body of toxins temporarily.
Kidneys are the organs that are most sensitive to anything we consume throughout the day. When it gets derailed, our body becomes poisonous with the toxic substances that get mixed in blood.
One needs to correct it to stay healthy and happy. You must make the right decision for your health based on the facts and medical advice. We at Mykare Health , are here to empower you with this knowledge and clarification of any myths.