Each form of treatment has its own advantages and disadvantages and not every therapy may be suitable for you. Together with your healthcare team, you will decide which treatment suits your personal situation best. For this purpose, an intensive discussion will take place with your physician, in which your physical health, the course of your illness, your personal circumstance and your own wishes and needs will be considered.

After the conversation, you will have time to think about your options and decide on a suitable treatment option. Try to involve your relatives and friends in the discussion! Remember that your initial choice is not your only time to choose which treatment may be right for you. Your opinion may change over time, dependent on your individual personal experiences. Try to talk to your healthcare professional team throughout your dialysis journey to make sure you have the right therapy for you.

A transplant may be considered the optimal renal replacement therapy if it is suitable for the patient.

If a suitable donor kidney (either from a deceased organ donor or from a living donor) is available and the tests performed indicate that the kidney matches the patient, it can be transplanted. A single kidney is usually sufficient to maintain filter functions. After the transplant, medications that suppress the immune system are taken so that the new kidney is well accepted by your body. Other medications are also prescribed to make transplantation as flawless as possible.

Unfortunately, the wait time for a donor kidney may be quite long and finding a suitable donor may be difficult, which is why dialysis treatment is often necessary to bridge the gap.

Dialysis

Dialysis is the most common choice to treat end-stage kidney disease. It represents a substitution of the different functions of the human kidney. Together with your physician, you will find ways of integrating the treatment into your everyday life.

Peritoneal dialysis

The term Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) is derived from the peritoneum, which describes the thin, protective structure around the abdominal organs. The abdominal cavity is a unique, enclosed space in the abdomen.

In peritoneal dialysis, the peritoneum is used as a natural filter to cleanse the body of waste materials and excess water. This requires a surgically created PD catheter.

PD can be carried out independently at home or any other suitable place.

Home Haemodialysis (HHD) is carried out in your own home or any other suitable place using the same technique as HD, with some adjustments. This requires having the devices at home and sufficient knowledge to carry out the therapy.