WHAT IS END STAGE KIDNEY DISEASE (PERMANENT KIDNEY FAILURE) ?
End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD), also known as kidney failure, means that your kidneys cannot remove wastes & extra fluid.
ESKD is permanent, and there is little chance of your kidneys regaining its original kidney function.
WHAT ARE YOUR TREATMENT OPTIONS ?
You have several choices to treat ESKD. These include kidney transplant, dialysis, and supportive care.
Your choice can help you live longer, improve your quality of life & reduce the risk of other health complications.
Kidney transplant
This is a treatment where you have someone else’s kidney placed into your body. You can get a kidney from someone who is alive (family member) or from someone who has died (cadaver) through ZTCC.
There are two types of dialysis:
Hemodialysis
In hemodialysis your blood flows through a machine to remove wastes and fluid from your body.
There are many different kinds of hemodialysis. This includes undergoing dialysis during the day, three times a week, or sometimes more frequently, 4-6 times per week.
Peritoneal dialysis
This type of treatment uses a tube in your abdomen to remove the waste and fluid from your body.
You/caretaker place dialysis fluid into your body through the tube and it extracts the wastes and fluid from your body.
This dialysis fluid with the waste is then drained from your body. This type of dialysis is done daily.
Peritoneal dialysis is performed at home.
Supportive care
Few patients prefer supportive care over above options.
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO FOR YOUR HEALTH ?
When your kidneys are not working any more, it is important that you talk to your doctor about diet, fluids, taking medications as recommended, staying physically active and about emotional support.
