Quality of Life comparisons between treatment plans for ESRD:
- Dialysis considerations:
- hemodialysis for example can be 3x per week/4 hrs per session ( = 576 hours of dialysis per year to sustain life)
- can result in secondary complications and multiple hospitalizations over time
- prolonged treatment and physical toll of dialysis can often make the person feel more sick over time
- psychosocial challenges and emotional struggles experienced by patient and their family
- only serves as a stopgap measure
VS.
- Kidney Transplant considerations:
- recipient takes life long immunosuppressive oral medications post surgery to prevent organ rejection
- recipient has ongoing bloodwork to evaluate kidney function over time
- long-term treatment with better patient outcomes, dialysis is no longer required