Chronic Kidney disease Management (A.V. Fistula, Transplant)
Arteriovenous (AV) fistula— the gold standard hemodialysis access Once kidney function goes below 10 to 15 percent of normal, dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant are necessary to sustain life. There are two types of dialysis: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Both dialysis treatments are able to replace the kidneys’ function of cleaning the blood of toxins and removing extra fluids for people with kidney failure.
The kidney transplant works in the same way as your own kidneys do, with the blood coming through the transplant, filtering it and the urine coming out. The kidney transplant is protected by the anti-rejection medication, so your body doesn't attack it. And we leave your own kidneys in because they eventually shrivel down and don't function anymore. You don't want more surgery than you need.