If you have a loved one with chronic kidney disease, the doctor may suggest a kidney transplant. Learn who can get one, why they’re preferred over dialysis, and what the risks are.
So often, we talk about medical care like it’s clear-cut: You have a problem, you see a doctor, and, hopefully, you get a solution. But it’s not always that simple. Finding the problem itself can be a challenge, and when it comes to the right treatment, it’s often about understanding tradeoffs.
If you have a loved one with chronic kidney disease, it’s no different. The kidneys are so important because they remove waste from the body. And they keep really busy doing it -- they filter about 45 gallons of blood every day. So when they stop working as well, waste and fluids build up. That leads to problems like high blood pressure and kidney failure.
Someone with chronic kidney disease has two main options. They can get a transplant to receive a healthy kidney from a donor. Or they can start dialysis, a treatment where blood gets filtered either by a machine or in the belly with the help of a special tube. You might think that a transplant is more of a last resort, the thing to do when you’ve run out of options. But that’s hardly the case. For most people, doctors prefer transplant over dialysis.The reason is simple: People who get transplants generally live longer than those who get dialysis. For example, an adult who’s 30 and on dialysis might live another 15 years. With a transplant, that number jumps to 30-40 years.Better quality of life.
Serious health condition -- like severe heart disease -- that means they’re not healthy enough for surgery
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