When Kidneys Fail: Treatment Options
When kidneys pack up completely, you've got kidney failure - and two main treatment routes to consider. Kidney transplants are the gold standard, involving swapping a dodgy kidney for a working one from a donor.
The catch? You might wait ages for a suitable donor, and there's always the risk of rejection where your immune system attacks the new kidney. Family donors reduce this risk, and immunosuppressive medicines help too, though they come with their own side effects.
Dialysis is your backup option - essentially an external kidney machine. It filters your blood through dialysis fluid, doing the job your kidneys can't manage anymore. Patients need treatment at least three times weekly for several hours each session.
Whilst dialysis keeps people alive, it's expensive, time-consuming, and requires strict dietary restrictions. It's brilliant for buying time whilst waiting for a transplant, but it's definitely not as convenient as having working kidneys.
Real Talk: Most patients prefer transplants over lifelong dialysis, but dialysis is often the only option available immediately after kidney failure.