CHOOSING A T R E ATMENT THAT ’ S RIGHT FOR YOU
Your kidneys filter wastes from your blood and regulate other
functions of your body. When your kidneys fail, you need
treatment to replace the work of healthy kidneys to survive.
Kidney Failure
CHOOSING A
TREATMENT THAT’S
RIGHT FOR YOU
i
Kidney Failure
CHOOSING A
TREATMENT THAT’S
RIGHT FOR YOU
National Institutes of Health
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Contents
Introduction ..................................1
When Your Kidneys Fail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Treatment Choice: Hemodialysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Treatment Choice: Peritoneal Dialysis ...............9
Treatment Choice: Kidney Transplantation . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Treatment Choice: Refusing or Withdrawing
From Treatment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Paying for Treatment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Introduction
Your kidneys filter wastes from your blood and regulate other
functions of your body. When your kidneys fail, you need
treatment to replace the work of healthy kidneys to survive.
Developing kidney failure means that you have some decisions
to make about your treatment. If you choose to receive treat-
ment, your choices are hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and
kidney transplantation. Each of them has advantages and dis-
advantages. You may also choose to forgo treatment. By
learning about your choices, you can work with your doctor
to decide what’s best for you. No matter which treatment
you choose, you’ll need to make some changes in your life,
including how you eat and plan your activities. But with the
help of your health care team, family, and friends, you can
lead a full, active life.
When Your Kidneys Fail
Healthy kidneys clean your blood by removing excess fluid,
minerals, and wastes. They also make hormones that keep
your bones strong and your blood healthy. When your kid-
neys fail, harmful wastes build up in your body, your blood
pressure may rise, and your body may retain excess fluid and
not make enough red blood cells. When this happens, you
need treatment to replace the work of your failed kidneys.
1
Treatment Choice: Hemodialysis
Purpose
Hemodialysis cleans and filters your blood using a machine to
temporarily rid your body of harmful wastes, extra salt, and
extra water. Hemodialysis helps control blood pressure and
helps your body keep the proper balance of important chemi-
cals such as potassium, sodium, calcium, and bicarbonate.
How It Works
Hemodialysis uses a special filter called a dialyzer that func-
tions as an artificial kidney to clean your blood. During treat-
ment, your blood travels through tubes into the dialyzer,
which filters out wastes and extra water. Then the cleaned
blood flows through another set of tubes back into your body.
The dialyzer is connected to a machine that monitors blood
flow and removes wastes from the blood.
Dialyzer inflow
pressure monitor
Venous
pressure monitor
Heparin pump
(to prevent
clotting)
Air trap and
Dialyzer
air detector
Air detector
clamp
Clean blood
returned to
Arterial body
pressure monitor
Blood removed
for cleansing
Blood pump
Hemodialysis.
2
Hemodialysis is usually needed three times a week. Each
treatment lasts from 3 to 5 or more hours. During treatment,
you can read, write, sleep, talk, or watch TV.
Getting Ready
If you choose hemodialysis, several months before your first
treatment, an access to your bloodstream will need to be
created. You may need to stay overnight in the hospital, but
many patients have their access placed on an outpatient basis.
This access provides an efficient way for blood to be carried
from your body to the dialysis machine and back without
causing discomfort. The two main types of access are a fistula
and a graft.
• A surgeon makes a fistula
by using your own blood
vessels; an artery is con-
nected directly to a vein,
usually in your forearm.
The increased blood flow
makes the vein grow larg-
er and stronger so that it
can be used for repeated
needle insertions. This
is the preferred type of
access. It may take several
weeks to be ready for use. Arteriovenous fistula.
• A graft connects an artery to a vein by using a synthetic
tube. It doesn’t need to develop as a fistula does, so it
can be used sooner after placement. But a graft is more
likely to have problems with infection and clotting.
Needles are placed into the access to draw out the blood.
You’ll be given a local anesthetic to minimize any pain during
dialysis.
3
Looped graft
Artery
Vein
Graft.
If your kidney disease has progressed quickly, you may not
have time to get a permanent vascular access before you start
hemodialysis treatments. You may need to use a catheter, a
tube inserted into a vein in your neck, chest, or leg near the
groin, as a temporary access. Some people use a catheter for
long-term access as well. Catheters that will be needed for
Catheter for temporary access.
4
more than about 3 weeks are designed to be placed under the
skin to increase comfort and reduce complications.
For more information about vascular access, see the National
Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
(NIDDK) fact sheet Vascular Access for Hemodialysis.
Who Performs It
Hemodialysis is usually done in a dialysis center by nurses and
trained technicians. In some parts of the country, it can be
done at home with the help of a partner, usually a family
member or friend. If you decide to do home dialysis, you
and your partner will receive special training.
Possible Complications
Vascular access problems are the most common reason for
hospitalization among people on hemodialysis. Common
problems include infection, blockage from clotting, and poor
blood flow. These problems can keep your treatments from
working. You may need to undergo repeated surgeries in
order to get a properly functioning access.
Other problems can be caused by rapid changes in your
body’s water and chemical balance during treatment. Muscle
cramps and hypotension, or a sudden drop in blood pressure,
are two common side effects. Low blood pressure or
hypotension can make you feel weak, dizzy, or sick to your
stomach.
You’ll probably need a few months to adjust to hemodialysis.
Side effects can often be treated quickly and easily, so you
should always report them to your doctor and dialysis staff.
You can avoid many side effects if you follow a proper diet,
limit your liquid intake, and take your medicines as directed.
5
Diet for Hemodialysis
Hemodialysis and a proper diet help reduce the wastes that
build up in your blood. A dietitian is available at all dialysis
centers to help you plan meals according to your doctor’s
orders. When choosing foods, you should remember to
• Eat balanced amounts of high-protein foods such as
meat, chicken, and fish.
• Control the amount of potassium you eat. Potassium is
a mineral found in salt substitutes, some fruits (bananas,
oranges), vegetables, chocolate, and nuts. Too much
potassium can be dangerous.
• Limit how much you drink. When your kidneys aren’t
working, water builds up quickly in your body. Too
much liquid makes your tissues swell and can lead to
high blood pressure, heart trouble, and cramps and low
blood pressure during dialysis.
• Avoid salt. Salty foods make you thirsty and make your
body hold water.
• Limit foods such as milk, cheese, nuts, dried beans, and
dark colas. These foods contain large amounts of the
mineral phosphorus. Too much phosphorus in your
blood causes calcium to be pulled from your bones,
which makes them weak and brittle and can cause
arthritis. To prevent bone problems, your doctor may
give you special medicines, which you must take with
meals every day as directed.
For more information about choosing the right foods, see the
NIDDK booklet Eat Right To Feel Right on Hemodialysis.
Pros and Cons
Each person responds differently to similar situations. What
may be a negative factor for one person may be positive for
6
In-Center Hemodialysis
Pros
+ Facilities are widely available.
+ You have trained professionals with you at all times.
+ You can get to know other patients.
Cons
– Treatments are scheduled by the center and are rela-
tively fixed.
– You must travel to the center for treatment.
Home Hemodialysis
Pros
+ You can do it at the times you choose (but you still
must do it as often as your doctor orders).
+ You don’t have to travel to a center.
+ You gain a sense of independence and control over
your treatment.
Cons
– You must have a helper.
– Helping with treatments may be stressful to your
family.
– You and your helper need training.
– You need space for storing the machine and supplies
at home.
7
another. The boxed text on page 7 lists the general advan-
tages and disadvantages of in-center and home hemodialysis.
Working With Your Health Care Team
Questions You May Want To Ask:
• Is hemodialysis the best treatment choice for me? Why?
• If I’m treated at a center, can I go to the center of my
choice?
• What should I look for in a dialysis center?
• Will my kidney doctor see me at dialysis?
• What does hemodialysis feel like?
• What is self-care dialysis?
• Is home hemodialysis available in my area? How long
does it take to learn? Who will train my partner and
me?
• What kind of blood access is best for me?
• As a hemodialysis patient, will I be able to keep work-
ing? Can I have treatments at night?
• How much should I exercise?
• Who will be on my health care team? How can these
people help me?
• Whom can I talk with about finances, sexuality, or
family concerns?
• How/where can I talk to other people who have faced
this decision?
For more information about hemodialysis, see the NIDDK
booklet Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure: Hemodialysis.
8
Treatment Choice: Peritoneal Dialysis
Purpose
Peritoneal dialysis is another procedure that removes extra
water, wastes, and chemicals from your body. This type of
dialysis uses the lining of your abdomen to filter your blood.
This lining is called the peritoneal membrane and acts as the
artificial kidney.
How It Works
A mixture of minerals and sugar dissolved in water, called
dialysis solution, travels through a soft tube into your
abdomen. The sugar, called dextrose, draws wastes, chemi-
cals, and extra water from the tiny blood vessels in your peri-
Dialysis
solution
Catheter
Abdominal Peritoneum
cavity
Peritoneal dialysis.
9
toneal membrane into the dialysis solution. After several
hours, the used solution is drained from your abdomen
through the tube, taking the wastes from your blood with it.
Then you fill your abdomen with fresh dialysis solution, and
the cycle is repeated. Each cycle is called an exchange.
Getting Ready
Before your first treatment, a surgeon places a small, soft tube
called a catheter into your abdomen. The catheter tends to
work better if there is adequate time—usually from 10 days to
2 or 3 weeks—for the insertion site to heal. This is another
way in which planning your dialysis access can improve treat-
ment success. This catheter stays there permanently to help
transport the dialysis solution to and from your abdomen.
Types of Peritoneal Dialysis
There are three types of peritoneal dialysis.
1. Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD)
CAPD is the most common type of peritoneal dialysis. It
requires no machine and can be done in any clean, well-lit
place. With CAPD, your blood is always being cleaned.
The dialysis solution passes from a plastic bag through the
catheter and into your abdomen, where it stays for several
hours with the catheter sealed. The period that dialysis
solution is in your abdomen is called the dwell time.
Next, you drain the dialysis solution back into the bag for
disposal. You then use the same catheter to refill your
abdomen with fresh dialysis solution so the cleaning
process can begin again. With CAPD, the dialysis solution
stays in your abdomen for a dwell time of 4 to 6 hours (or
more). The process of draining the used dialysis solution
and replacing it with fresh solution takes about 30 to 40
minutes. Most people change the dialysis solution at least
10
four times a day and sleep with solution in their abdomen
at night. With CAPD, it’s not necessary to wake up and
perform dialysis tasks during the night.
2. Continuous Cycler-Assisted Peritoneal Dialysis (CCPD)
CCPD uses a machine called a cycler to fill and empty
your abdomen three to five times during the night while
you sleep. In the morning, you begin one exchange with a
dwell time that lasts the entire day. You may do an addi-
tional exchange in the middle of the afternoon without the
cycler to increase the amount of waste removed and to
reduce the amount of fluid left behind in your body.
3. Combination of CAPD and CCPD
If you weigh more than 175 pounds or if your peritoneum
filters wastes slowly, you may need a combination of
CAPD and CCPD to get the right dialysis dose. For exam-
ple, some people use a cycler at night but also perform one
exchange during the day. Others do four exchanges dur-
ing the day and use a minicycler to perform one or more
exchanges during the night. You’ll work with your health
care team to determine the best schedule for you.
Who Performs It
Both types of peritoneal dialysis are usually performed by the
patient without help from a partner. CAPD is a form of self-
treatment that needs no machine. However, with CCPD, you
need a machine to drain and refill your abdomen.
Possible Complications
The most common problem with peritoneal dialysis is peri-
tonitis, a serious abdominal infection. This infection can
occur if the opening where the catheter enters your body
becomes infected or if contamination occurs as the catheter
11
is connected or disconnected from the bags. Peritonitis
requires antibiotic treatment by your doctor.
To avoid peritonitis, you must be careful to follow procedures
exactly and learn to recognize the early signs of peritonitis,
which include fever, unusual color or cloudiness of the used
fluid, and redness or pain around the catheter. Report these
signs to your doctor immediately so that peritonitis can be
treated quickly to avoid serious problems.
Diet for Peritoneal Dialysis
A peritoneal dialysis diet is slightly different from a hemodial-
ysis diet.
• You’ll still need to limit salt and liquids, but you may be
able to have more of each, compared with hemodialysis.
• You must eat more protein.
• You may have different restrictions on potassium.
• You may need to cut back on the number of calories you
eat because there are calories in the dialysis fluid that
may cause you to gain weight.
Your doctor and a dietitian who specializes in helping people
with kidney failure will be able to help you plan your meals.
Pros and Cons
Each type of peritoneal dialysis has advantages and
disadvantages. (See the boxed text.)
Working With Your Health Care Team
Questions You May Want To Ask:
• Is peritoneal dialysis the best treatment choice for me?
Why? If yes, which type is best?
12
Peritoneal Dialysis
CAPD
Pros
+ You can do it alone.
+ You can do it at times you choose as long as you
perform the required number of exchanges each day.
+ You can do it in many locations.
+ You don’t need a machine.
Cons
– It can disrupt your daily schedule.
– This is a continuous treatment, and all exchanges
must be performed 7 days a week.
CCPD
Pros
+ You can do it at night, mainly while you sleep.
Cons
– You need a machine.
• How long will it take me to learn how to do peritoneal
dialysis?
• What does peritoneal dialysis feel like?
• How will peritoneal dialysis affect my blood pressure?
• How will I know if I have peritonitis? How is it
treated?
13
• As a peritoneal dialysis patient, will I be able to continue
working?
• How much should I exercise?
• Where do I store supplies?
• How often do I see my doctor?
• Who will be on my health care team? How can these
people help me?
• Whom do I contact with problems?
• Whom can I talk with about finances, sexuality, or fami-
ly concerns?
• How/where can I talk to other people who have faced
this decision?
For more information about peritoneal dialysis, see the
NIDDK booklet Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure:
Peritoneal Dialysis.
Dialysis Is Not a Cure
Hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis are treatments that help
replace the work your kidneys did. These treatments help
you feel better and live longer, but they don’t cure kidney
failure. Although patients with kidney failure are now living
longer than ever, over the years kidney disease can cause
problems such as heart disease, bone disease, arthritis, nerve
damage, infertility, and malnutrition. These problems won’t
go away with dialysis, but doctors now have new and better
ways to prevent or treat them. You should discuss these
complications and treatments with your doctor.
14
Treatment Choice: Kidney Transplantation
Purpose
Kidney transplantation surgically places a healthy kidney from
another person into your body. The donated kidney does the
work that your two failed kidneys used to do.
How It Works
A surgeon places the new kidney inside your lower abdomen
and connects the artery and vein of the new kidney to your
artery and vein. Your blood flows through the donated kid-
ney, which makes urine, just like your own kidneys did when
they were healthy. The new kidney may start working right
away or may take up to a few weeks to make urine. Unless
your own kidneys are causing infection or high blood pres-
sure, they are left in place.
Diseased
kidneys
Vein
Artery Transplanted
kidney
Transplanted
ureter
Bladder
Kidney transplantation.
15
Getting Ready
The transplantation process has many steps. First, talk with
your doctor, because transplantation isn’t for everyone. Your
doctor may tell you that you have a condition that would
make transplantation dangerous or unlikely to succeed.
You may receive a kidney from a member of your family
(living, related donor), from a person who has recently died
(cadaveric donor), or sometimes from a spouse or a very close
friend (living, unrelated donor). If you don’t have a living
donor, you’re placed on a waiting list for a cadaveric kidney.
The wait for a cadaveric donor kidney can be several years.
The transplant team considers three factors in matching kid-
neys with potential recipients. These factors help predict
whether your body’s immune system will accept the new
kidney or reject it.
• Blood type. Your blood type (A, B, AB, or O) must
match the donor’s. This is the most important matching
factor.
• Human leukocyte antigens (HLAs). Your cells carry
six important HLAs, three inherited from each parent.
Family members are most likely to have a complete
match. You may still receive a kidney if the HLAs aren’t
a complete match as long as your blood type matches
the organ donor’s and other tests are negative.
• Cross-matching antigens. The last test before implant-
ing an organ is the cross-match. A small sample of your
blood will be mixed with a sample of the organ donor’s
blood in a tube to see if there’s a reaction. If no reac-
tion occurs, the result is called a negative cross-match,
and the transplant operation can proceed.
16
The Time It Takes
How long you’ll have to wait for a kidney varies. Because
there aren’t enough cadaveric donors for every person who
needs a transplant, you must be placed on a waiting list.
However, if a voluntary donor gives you a kidney, the trans-
plant can be scheduled as soon as you’re both ready. Avoiding
the long wait is a major advantage of living donation.
The surgery takes 3 to 4 hours. The usual hospital stay is
about a week. After you leave the hospital, you’ll have
regular followup visits.
If someone has given you a kidney, the donor will probably
stay in the hospital about the same amount of time.
However, a new technique for removing a kidney for
donation uses a smaller incision and may make it possible
for the donor to leave the hospital in 2 to 3 days.
Between 85 and 90 percent of transplants from cadaveric
donors are working 1 year after surgery. Transplants from liv-
ing relatives often work better than transplants from cadaveric
donors because they’re usually a closer match.
Possible Complications
Transplantation is the closest thing to a cure. But no matter
how good the match, your body may reject your new kidney.
A common cause of rejection is not taking medication as
prescribed.
Your doctor will give you drugs called immunosuppressants to
help prevent your body’s immune system from attacking the
kidney, a process called rejection. You’ll need to take
immunosuppressants every day for as long as the transplanted
kidney is functioning. Sometimes, however, even these drugs
can’t stop your body from rejecting the new kidney. If this
17
