Even with a kidney from a close relative, however, a transplant recipient must take drugs to suppress the immune system from rejecting the organ. There are about three times as many people waiting for transplants as there are kidneys available. Some dialysis patients are not well enough for the rigors of a transplant operation and the drugs that follow, according to Robinson of the American Association of Kidney Patients. More than half suffer from other illnesses, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Some patients receive transplants only to have them rejected by their immune system later.
Some patients refuse transplants.
For them, says Robinson, dialysis may be something of a social gathering and a way to be monitored and cared for by a group of health-care providers that become like friends. Dialysis survival in the United States after one year is 77 percent, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. After five years it is 28 percent, and after 10 years it is about 10 percent. Many experts point out there is room for improvement in the survival rate and quality of life for American dialysis patients. People are working on fine-tuning dialysis and improving the technology.