When Is Dialysis Needed by PKD Patients

2014-07-04 11:14

Dialysis is said to be a must in many cases of PKD, because it can replace failed kidney to do some work. Dialysis is life-sustaining, but torturous. Therefore, no PKD patients expect dialysis. Also, for this reason, some patients are eager to know when dialysis is needed by patients with PKD, so that they can make preparation in advance.

Why is dialysis needed by PKD patients?

Dialysis is applied to remove wastes which should be excreted by kidney. PKD is an illness that is marked by fluid collection on kidney. In early stage of illness, only several small cysts are formed in kidney, which causes no impairment of kidney function. However, with the increase and enlargement of kidney cyst, more and more kidney tissues will be damaged. Under such a condition, wastes and toxins build up in the blood. Dialysis is needed to replace failed kidney to remove harmful substances out of the body.

When is dialysis needed by PKD patients?

Creatinine is a harmful substance that needs to be excreted out of the body through kidney, so creatinine level in blood is always measured to reflect kidney function. Besides, creatinine belongs to small molecular substance, so if kidneys fail to clear it away, it means kidneys can not excrete other wastes as well. Therefore, the level of serum creatinine is proportional to the amount of other wastes.

For PKD patients, dialysis is usually suggested when creatinine level in blood increases to be higher than 5, but many patients do not start dialysis until their life is severely threatened, because long-term dialysis will cause many terrible physical discomforts. What is worse, patients’ survival rate decreases with the duration of dialysis.

Lastly, dialysis is a treatment choice for PKD patients whose illness has developed to kidney failure stage, but it is not the only option. For these who still have urine output, they can try Micro-Chinese Medicine Osmotherapy to shrink kidney cyst and improve kidney function. It is a herbal treatment and causes no side effects, so if you are interested in it, you can consult our online doctors to get more detailed information.

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