Your kidneys filter wastes from your blood and regulate other functions of your body. . . When your kidneys fail, you need treatment to replace the work your kidneys normally perform.

Developing kidney failure means you have some decisions to make about your treatment. You may choose to forgo treatment. If you choose to receive treatment, your choices include hemodialysis, which requires a machine used to filter your blood outside your body; peritoneal dialysis, which uses the lining of your belly to filter your blood inside the body; and kidney transplantation, in which a new kidney is placed in your body.Each treatment has advantages and disadvantages.

Your choice of treatment will have a big impact on your day-to-day lifestyle, such as being able to keep a job if you are working.  You are the only one who can decide what means most to you. Reading this booklet is a good way to learn about your options so you can make an informed choice. And, if you find that your choice is not a good fit for your life, you can change treatments. With the help of your health care team, family, and friends, you can lead a full, active life.

When Your Kidneys Fail

Healthy kidneys clean your blood by removing excess fluid, minerals, and wastes. They also make hormones that keep your bones strong and your blood healthy. When your kidneys fail, harmful wastes build up in your body, your blood pressure may rise, and your body may retain excess fluid and not make enough red blood cells. When this happens, you need treatment to replace the work of your failed kidneys.

Download Kidney Failure: Choosing a Treatment That’s Right for You

PDF format, 671KB, 40Pages.

Contents:
Introduction 1
When Your Kidneys Fail 1
Treatment Choice: Hemodialysis 2
Treatment Choice: Peritoneal Dialysis 11
Treatment Choice: Kidney Transplantation 17
Treatment Choice: Refusing or Withdrawing
from Treatment 24
Paying for Treatment of Kidney Failure 26
Points to Remember 26
For More Information 27
Acknowledgments 31

About the Kidney Failure Series:

You and your doctor will work together to choose a treatment that’s best for you. The publications of the NIDDK Kidney Failure Series can help you learn about the specific issues you will face.

Booklets
• Kidney Failure: Choosing a Treatment That’s Right for You
• Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure: Hemodialysis
• Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure: Peritoneal Dialysis
• Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure: Transplantation
• Eat Right to Feel Right on Hemodialysis
• Kidney Failure Glossary

Fact Sheets
• Kidney Failure: What to Expect
• Vascular Access for Hemodialysis
• Home Hemodialysis
• Hemodialysis Dose and Adequacy
• Peritoneal Dialysis Dose and Adequacy
• Amyloidosis and Kidney Disease
• Anemia in Kidney Disease and Dialysis
• Renal Osteodystrophy
• Financial Help for Treatment of Kidney Failure

Learning as much as you can about your treatment will help make you an important member of your health care team.

The NIDDK will develop additional materials for this series as needed.  Please address any comments about this series and requests for copies to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. 

This series is also on the NIDDK website at www.niddk.nih.gov; click on “Kidney and Urologic Diseases” under Health Information for the Public.

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