Kidney transplant vs. Dialysis
Kidney transplant and dialysis both are the treatment recommended by the doctors when a person has severe kidney failure, also known as renal failure, stage 5 chronic kidney disease, and end stage kidney disease. The time a person’s kidneys lose their ability to function electrolytes start building up in the blood, and the doctor will recommend a kidney transplant or dialysis before kidney disease has advanced where life-threatening complications occur.
About dialysis
In this process, the blood of patients with chronic kidney disease is pumped through a dialysis machine to remove waste products along with excess fluids. During the process, the patient is connected to a dialysis machine by surgically created path i.e., vascular access i.e., known as graft. In this way, blood is removed from the patient’s body circulate through the dialysis machine and, after that, again return to the body. The process can be done at a hospital or else at home also. At the clinic, the treatment takes about three times a week for about five hours per session. This can also be done in overnight treatment also. If done at home, it is done for about three to six times a week and takes about three to ten hours per session.
Kidney transplant
Kidney transplant is the best treatment for patients having end stage kidney disease. The transplant offers a more active life with freedom from dialysis and restrictions on fluid and dietary intake. Kidney transplants can be done by taking a healthy and functional kidney from a living or deceased donor. Living donors can be relatives, partners as well as close friends.
In some cases, donors are also unknown to the recipient. Deceased donors are people who have permitted their organs to be donated after their death. if the kidney transplant is from a living donor, then the operation is performed when the kidneys of the patient are close to failing, but before dialysis starts. this is termed as a pre-emptive transplant, however not everyone is suitable for a kidney transplant, and it depends upon many factors
- Overall health is fine
- Acceptance of risk involved
Which one is best
Out of the two i.e., dialysis or a kidney transplant, the latter one is considered as the best, especially for those patients who do not have one of the reasons to be ineligible for transplant. As per many studies, patients who have been living with a transplanted kidney for ten years demonstrate a greater likelihood of still being alive than those on dialysis. during a kidney transplant, a healthy kidney is placed inside your body of the patient whose kidney is not functioning well. There are both positive and negative sides of the transplant. Still, overall it improves the lives of patients with chronic kidney disease.
- On a positive note, there are some limitations regarding what to eat and what not to eat and drink, following a heart-healthy diet is necessary. A successful kidney transplant ensures a person to live life in the same way as they were living before you got kidney disease.
- On the negative note the same as all other surgeries, kidney transplant also has some risks. A patient has to take anti-rejection medicines to fill the time the new kidney starts working, which can have side effects. Patients are more prone to infections after the transplant. Mostly all kidney transplants are successful and last for many years. How much it l last depends upon person to person. In some cases, many people may also need more than one kidney transplant during a lifetime.
Hence we conclude that A kidney transplant is often preferable to dialysis, and the reason is that dialysis can achieve only 10 to 20 percent of renal function, and after a successful kidney transplant, the renal function is 50 percent or more. Kidney transplant surgery cost in India ranges between USD 10,000 to USD 14000 and provides a better quality of life than dialysis. The best part of the transplant is that dialysis sessions no longer restrict the patient. Many kidney patients feel more energetic after a transplant and can resume their daily activities more easily. Life expectancy also usually increases after a kidney transplant, and life offers many more opportunities for a patient after a successful kidney transplant.
