When you reach End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), you will need dialysis or a kidney transplant to live. It takes time and careful thought to decide which treatment is right for you. Your decision depends on your health, lifestyle, and personal likes and dislikes. Learning about your treatment options, the pros and cons of each, and how they will fit into your life is the first step. Talking with your doctor, healthcare team, and family will help you make a choice that’s best for you.

When choosing a treatment, remember that you can change your mind. Even after many years on one kind of treatment, you can switch to another kind that may better fit you at that point in your life.

Here is a list of things to keep in mind:

• How will the treatment affect your lifestyle?
• How involved in your treatment do you want to be?
• Do you need/want to be able to keep working?
• What kind of support do you have from your family/friends? Do you have a partner who is willing to help you do your treatment?
• Do you have children?
• Do need/want to travel often?
  

Why is treatment important?

If you have Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), work closely with your doctor and healthcare team to watch and treat your symptoms. In the early stages of CKD, you can make diet and lifestyle changes and take medications to lessen complications and slow down your disease. The longer you can keep your kidneys working, the better.

If you are diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) or kidney failure, you will need dialysis or a kidney transplant to replace your lost kidney function so you can live and stay healthy. The idea of needing dialysis for the rest of your life, or undergoing major surgery to get a new kidney can be upsetting, but taking an active role in your health care and relying on the support of your family, friends, and healthcare team will help.

What is dialysis?

Dialysis is a mechanical filtering process that cleans waste products out of your blood, removes extra fluid and controls your body chemistry if your kidneys fail. There are two main kinds of dialysis: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.

Hemodialysis

Hemodialysis removes extra fluid and wastes from your body by constantly moving your blood through a filter. The filter, known as a dialyzer or artificial kidney, is used with a dialysis machine. Your blood is removed from your body in small amounts, run through the filter, and then returned. Hemodialysis can be done at home or in a dialysis treatment center. It can be done during the day, or at night while you are sleeping, leaving your days free for other activities. As with any treatment, there are pros and cons to hemodialysis of any type. Thinking about these can help you decide if some type of hemodialysis is right for you.

Peritoneal Dialysis

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) also filters the blood. But, instead of using an artificial kidney, the thin membrane that lines your abdominal cavity, the peritoneum, is used.

During peritoneal dialysis, you fill your abdomen with dialysate. Because the peritoneum is rich in tiny blood vessels, it continually provides a supply of blood to be cleaned. The extra fluid and wastes in the blood move into the dialysate, which you drain and replace.

There are two main types of peritoneal dialysis: Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) and Continuous Cycling Peritoneal Dialysis (CCDP). Both are done at home and both have pros and cons.

What is a kidney transplant?

A kidney transplant is the surgical placement of a healthy kidney from another person into your body. You can get a healthy kidney from a living donor (a family member or friend) or from a deceased donor. Before you receive a kidney, your blood will be ‘matched’ with the donor to reduce the chance that your body will reject the new kidney.

Choosing a dialysis facility

You can choose your dialysis facility - not all facilities are the same. Visit dialysis facilities that you’re interested in and take a tour. Find out about the facility and its staff, the treatment options they offer, their policies, and what their patients think of their services.

Everyone you meet at a dialysis facility should treat you with the respect and dignity that you deserve. Find out if customer service and education are their top priorities. You should Experience Excellence, each and every time you visit your facility.