Living with chronic kidney disease
Worldwide more than 2,500,000 patients undergo dialysis because of chronic kidney failure. The stage of ‘kidney failure’ is reached when both kidneys stop, or have almost stopped doing their normal work (with less than fifteen percent of the kidney's normal functions remaining).
If kidney disease progresses to this stage, waste products from normal body functions and excess fluid (for example, from drinking) accumulate in the body. As a consequence, toxins and water must be removed from the body with a blood purification procedure. This procedure is what's called dialysis.
Chronic kidney failure is manageable using renal replacement therapies. And there are three basic types of treatments available, depending on physical constitution and any underlying diseases: transplantation, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis.
Thanks to the enormous medical advances in dialysis and dialysis machines, which is helping millions of people to continue enjoying long and agreeable lives, despite their disease.
Fresenius Medical Care is the world's market leader for renal replacement therapy, and so offers a full range of products and services that help patients living with kidney disease.