Dialysis or kidney transplant: What should you choose and why

Sushma Swaraj, admitted to AIIMS for kidney failure, is slated to undergo dialysis. Do you know the difference between dialysis & kidney transplant?

If someone is suffering from kidney problems, where the organs have ceased to function to its optimum a kidney transplant is always preferred over the procedure of dialysis. However, there can be some practical problem which might delay kidney transplant finding a matching donor, the health of the patient and other parameters that need to be taken into consideration. However, if the kidneys are in a detrimental state, which a urine report high in creatinine can point out and transplant is not possible, dialysis is the next best option.

Once the function of the kidneys drops exponentially, the creatinine level in the blood rises to fatal levels. In such a situation, the heart can literally just stop. In this scenario, doctors purify the blood of the patient by a mechanical process called dialysis. This entails connecting the patient to a machine which filters blood. However, unlike the natural kidneys, the dialysis machine also sucks out a lot of important nutrients from the blood. Thus, patients on dialysis become fragile and cannot survive beyond a few years, Dr Anup Ramani, Uro-Oncological & Robotic Surgeon, Lilavati, Breach Candy, Saifee Hospital.

Hence, dialysis is a temporary option when it comes to treating diseased kidneys. Once the patient gets a donor, which can be a blood relative or a friend who is willing to donate a kidney, the chances of survival of the patient increases manifolds. However, there are situations when even with a donor a patient might have to wait for the procedure to take place. For instance, high blood pressure or diabetes can pose a threat to the patient. These health conditions need to be brought under control before taking the procedure of transplant further. Other health conditions that can prevent one from gettting a kidney transplant are cancer, dementia, obesity with a BMI over 40. However, it is better to consult with your doctor on which treatment option will be the best for you. If you don't suffer from any ailment other than deteriorating kidney and have a donor, it would be ideal to opt for a transplant over dialysis.

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