There are two types of dialysis - hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. To learn more about dialysis, please visit the websites listed at the end of this page. It is also important to discuss any questions you have about dialysis with your physician. Transplant is the surgical implantation of a donated kidney. A single transplanted kidney increases its workload to perform the work of two normal kidneys.
Transplantation is now an accepted therapeutic process with a high degree of success.
However, the age and medical condition of some patients make them more suitable for continued dialysis than for transplantation. The decision about dialysis and transplant can be complex and difficult. There are many factors to consider and discuss with your healthcare team and your family. If you are an appropriate candidate for transplant, and if you have a living donor option, you may be able to have a transplant before you have to have dialysis. However, if you do not have a living donor option, you may have to go on dialysis while you wait for a cadaver donor kidney, which may take between 3 and 5 years.