Is a Kidney Transplant Better than Dialysis?
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Your urinary system includes the kidneys, the two bean-shaped organs located on either side of your spine, just beneath your ribs. They remove the pollutants from your blood and replenish the circulation with filtered nutrient-rich blood. Urine is produced by the kidneys and it flows directly through these organs into the bladder. However, when kidney diseases occur, all of these necessary functions of your body get disrupted!
Treatments for renal disease or severe kidney failure include dialysis and kidney transplant, two treatment options that can truly become lifesaving. But many people ask, which one is better? So, let’s take a look at kidney transplant vs dialysis benefits and risk factors to find out!
What is Dialysis?
Your kidneys' ability to filter blood properly is compromised when you develop renal failure, and dialysis is a medical intervention used to treat such renal failure issues. Wastes accumulate in your body as a result of kidney disease, but dialysis treatment eliminates surplus fluid and waste products from the circulation, performing the function of your kidneys. Kidney illness can result from injuries to the kidneys as well as from diseases like diabetes, lupus, and high blood pressure.
Many dialysis patients can carry on with their daily schedule! However, when the abdomen fills with dialysis solution, people who use peritoneal dialysis may need to reduce their activity or other physical activities. Other than that, dialysis patients are usually able to live a normal life!
Types of Dialysis
There are two dialysis treatment options, called hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Hemodialysis involves taking blood out of your body, cleaning it with an artificial kidney called a dialyzer, and then putting the cleansed blood back into your body. This three to five hour procedure might happen three times a week in a hospital or special dialysis facility. Hemodialysis can be performed at home as well and can be done while you sleep at night.
During peritoneal dialysis, microscopic blood vessels located inside the peritoneum, the lining that covers the abdomen, can start filtering blood with the use of a dialysis solution. This mixture of water, salt, and other ingredients is a kind of cleaning liquid. A device known as a cycler is used in automated peritoneal dialysis, and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, or CAPD, is done manually.
What are the Potential Complications of Dialysis?
Risks involved in hemodialysis:
Problems with the AV fistula or graft arise for some individuals, and an infection, inadequate blood flow, a blockage caused by scar tissue, or a blood clot might occur. In rare instances, a tube or the dialysis needle may malfunction in the machine while you are receiving treatment. A blood leak detecting device notifies the medical professionals about this issue, and the machine will turn off for a while until the issue is resolved.
Risks involved in peritoneal dialysis:
Skin infections surrounding the catheter occur in certain persons, and additionally, you run the danger of developing peritonitis, an illness brought on by germs entering your abdomen through your catheter. Fever, nausea, vomiting, and stomach discomfort are possible side effects of this condition. Over time, the abdominal muscles may weaken as a result of using the abdominal catheter and pumping fluid into your abdomen, and a hernia could develop in you. There can be a bulge in the area between your upper thigh and stomach, or close to your belly button as a result. The sugar dextrose is absorbed by your body from the dialysis fluid during peritoneal dialysis, and because of that, with time, weight gain may result from this excess sugar.
What is Kidney Transplant?
A kidney transplant is the surgical implantation of a new kidney in place of the affected kidney into the body of a patient. A kidney transplant is done when kidney disease has reached a stage that cannot be managed with treatment anymore! After a kidney transplant, further care is needed, and you will need to take anti-rejection drugs to prevent your body from rejecting the new kidney. Dialysis will once more be required if a kidney transplant fails.
Kidney Transplant Types
There are three types of kidney transplants categorized based on the donor of the kidney.
Deceased donor: A deceased donor is a person who has passed away from a heart attack or brain injury but from whom at least one kidney can be retrieved for transplantation. Renal transplant using the kidney of a deceased donor takes a long time since the waiting list can be extremely long!
Living donor: A living donor is someone who gives one of their kidneys for transplantation, and in most cases, blood relatives become the living donor of the transplant applicant. Having a living donor match significantly reduces waiting times for the transplantation process, and increases the survival rate of the patient.
Expanded criteria donor (ECD): An ECD donor is a deceased donor who was older than sixty, and only the transplant candidates over the age of fifty may be recommended for an ECD kidney.
What are the Potential Complications of a Kidney Transplant?
Renal transplant carries some risks just like every other surgical procedure, and bleeding, infection, or respiratory difficulties are all possible. Additionally, since the medication you will take after transplantation diminishes your body's capacity to fight infection, you may have some adverse effects from the drugs and be more susceptible to infections. In some cases, the patient's body attempts to "reject" the replacement kidney since it perceives it as a foreign part, so to avoid rejection, medication will be administered.
Kidney Transplant Vs Dialysis: Which is Better?
When it comes to kidney transplant vs dialysis options, kidney transplantation is frequently the recommended course of treatment for chronic renal disease, mainly because it is permanent. Though each has advantages and disadvantages, the potential strain of continuous dialysis can become too much for some patients. Most persons who receive a kidney transplant enjoy a higher quality of life, and multiple research indicates that recipients of a successful kidney transplant often have longer lifespans than dialysis patients. However, only your doctor can tell you which option is best for you depending on your health, age, and other medical factors.
Final Remarks
Dialysis and kidney transplants are two very effective treatment options for severe kidney problems, and both have their own risks and benefits. However, in dialysis, the process needs to be continued multiple times a week and can put strain on your body after some time. On the other hand, even though a kidney transplant is permanent, finding a donor can be hard, and after the surgery, there is a chance of kidney rejection by your body. The final decision should be taken based on your doctor’s recommendation because only a doctor can tell you what’s best for your health.
Contact Medanta today to receive specialist treatment for kidney diseases!
