Dialysis or Kidney Transplant-Which One to Choose

Dialysis and Kidney Transplant are two important replacement therapies for the patients with advanced Kidney Disease. As these two therapies have advantages and disadvantages respectively, which one is better for you?

For the patients with advanced Kidney Disease, as their kidneys fail to work effectively, metabolic wastes and excess fluid build up in the blood. Dialysis can only remove the micromolecule substances and also do not have secretion functions so can only takes over a portion of the renal function. As for Kidney Transplant, the transplanted can replace the native kidney to function.

Kidney Transplant is considered to be the primary option for the patients with severe Kidney Disease because quality of life and survival are often better than in people who undergo dialysis. However, as their kidney source is rare so many patients have to delay their Kidney Transplant until Kidney Transplant is available. During their waiting, they have to require dialysis to maintain their life.

However, some patients with advanced Kidney Disease are not permitted to receive Kidney Transplant. Older age, heart and vascular disease are all risk factors for Kidney Transplant. For this part of patients, they should remain on dialysis rather than undergo Kidney Transplant. Also, if the patients have the following conditions, they are not eligible for Kidney Transplant.

1. Active hepatitis

2. Active or recently treated cancer

3. If the patients have chronic illness, they should receive systemic treatment and keep their illness stable before Kidney Transplant.

4. Poorly controlled mental illness

5. Current drug or alcohol abuse

Meanwhile, Kidney Transplant also has risks to the patients including infection, bleeding to the surrounding organs and even death during the process. Moreover, the patients need to use a large dosage of immunosuppressive agents that can cause bothersome side effects.

If the patients with Kidney Disease are not candidates for Kidney Transplant, they should undergo dialysis to maintain their life. The dialysis methods mainly include hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.

As for hemodialysis, the patients with poor heart function, inability to act or paralysis, they are not recommended to take hemodialysis. It is hard for infants to take hemodialysis over time and also it can also influence their growth. Therefore, they should choose hemodialysis. Moreover, if the patients have mental illness, Alzheimer, acute cerebrovascular disease, hepatitis syndrome and advanced cirrhosis, they are all not candidates for hemodialysis. If the patients have severe atherosclerosis and systemic vasculitis, it is hard for them to build vessel access.

For the elderly people, patients with Diabetes and those with severe cerebrovascular diseases, peritoneal dialysis is their primary option. If the patients with the following conditions, they are not suitable for peritoneal dialysis.

1. Extensive dense adhesion in abdominal cavity due to infection or tumor

2. Extensive infection on abdominal skin

3. Severe infective intestines disease or intestinal obstruction

4. Serious malnutrition or hyperlipemia

5. Late pregnancy and enlarged cysts on kidneys

The above has introduced the advantages and disadvantages of Kidney Transplant and dialysis and some contraindications. You should choose a right treatment based on your own disease condition with under your doctors’ guidance.


If you want to know which one is better for you, you also can email to kidney-treatment@hotmail.com .