June 10, 2022 admin
Dialysis Versus Kidney Transplant
Insights on Kidney Transplant:
A kidney transplant may be an option for certain persons with renal failure. A healthy kidney from a donor is implanted into your body during transplant surgery. Your two kidneys are replaced by a fresh, donated kidney that performs the same functions. A kidney transplant is a therapy, not a cure, for renal failure. To ensure that your immune system does not reject the replacement kidney, you will need to take medications every day. For many people with severe chronic renal disease, kidney transplantation is the therapy of choice since the quality of life and survival (life expectancy) are often superior to those who get dialysis. There is, however, a scarcity of organs accessible for donation. Many patients who are eligible for a kidney transplant are placed on a waiting list and must rely on dialysis until a donor’s kidney becomes available.
A kidney can be donated from a relative, an unrelated person (such as a spouse or acquaintance), or a deceased person (cadaver donor); just one kidney is needed to live. Organs from live donors often operate better and for longer lengths of time than those from deceased donors. Medically suitable persons who have been stabilised on dialysis can receive a transplant from a posthumous donor. The surgery can be done while the kidneys are near to failing but before dialysis begins if the transplant is from a living donor. This is referred to as a pre-emptive transplant. The donated kidney is transplanted within the recipient’s pelvis and connected to their blood vessels and urinary system during transplant surgery. Usually, their own kidneys are kept in situ. It’s critical that the donor and recipient’s blood and tissue match as closely as possible, to avoid the likelihood of issues like transplant rejection.
Dialysis works as an artificial kidney:
The most widely used form of dialysis and the one that most people are familiar with is haemodialysis. A tube is attached to a needle in your arm during the process. Blood flows through the tube and into an external filtering machine before being returned to the arm through another tube. Dialysis may be required for those who have kidney failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Kidney disease is caused by injuries and diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and lupus. Kidney failure can be a chronic disorder or it can strike quickly (acutely) as a result of a serious illness or injuries. As you recover, this sort of renal failure may go away. Kidney disease is divided into five phases. End-stage renal disease (ESRD) or kidney failure is considered stage 5 kidney disease by healthcare practitioners. The kidneys are only doing around 10% to 15% of their usual function at this time. To stay alive, you may require dialysis or a kidney transplant. While waiting for a transplant, some individuals go through dialysis. It is estimated that half of those who acquire renal failure opt for supportive treatment rather than dialysis or transplantation. The bulk of these folks are over 75 years old and suffer from a variety of chronic illnesses in addition to renal failure.
What to choose, Dialysis or Kidney Transplant?
In elderly individuals with end-stage renal disease who are deemed candidates for transplantation, renal transplantation has a considerable survival benefit over dialysis. However, there are certain criteria that a patient must meet in order to be considered for a kidney transplant. The number of older individuals requiring replacement treatment has risen over the world, and this trend is expected to continue in the coming decade. Although there is substantial evidence that transplantation is very effective in patients over 60 years old and provides a better quality of life than dialysis, given the current organ shortage, it can be difficult to justify the use of a donor kidney in a patient with a short life expectancy, such as the elderly patient. As a result, it’s critical to show that, in this period with great increases in survival on both types of therapy. Kidney transplantation is a serious surgery with dangers both during and after the treatment. Infection, haemorrhage, and injury to the surrounding organs are all hazards associated with the procedure.
Even death is possible, albeit it is extremely unusual. To reduce the risk of organ rejection after a kidney transplant, you will be needed to take medicines and undergo routine monitoring for the rest of your life. The drugs can have serious adverse effects, such as an increased risk of serious infections, diabetes, and some malignancies. Kidney transplantation carries only minor hazards. The majority of patients spend three to four days in the hospital after surgery, and 98 % of them have no serious issues. Immunosuppression and the potential for organ rejection are two long-term concerns linked with transplantation.
Reference:
Kaballo, M. A., Canney, M., O’Kelly, P., Williams, Y., O’Seaghdha, C. M., & Conlon, P. J. (2018). A comparative analysis of survival of patients on dialysis and after kidney transplantation. Clinical Kidney Journal, 11(3), 389–393. https://doi.org/10.1093/ckj/sfx117
Kidneys—Dialysis and transplant—Better Health Channel. (n.d.). Retrieved June 9, 2022, from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/kidneys-dialysis-and-transplant
The benefits and risks of kidney transplant versus dialysis. (n.d.). Retrieved June 10, 2022, from https://www.piedmont.org/living-better/the-benefits-and-risks-of-kidney-transplant-versus-dialysis