Video Transcript
What is the current, most commonly used method for treating kidney failure?
Kidneys are bean-shaped organs, found on each side of the lower spine. They help to balance water and ions in the bloodstream. And they filter waste products like urea out of the blood and excrete it as urine. Our kidneys contain microscopic structures called nephrons. Their exact structure is complicated and contains many capillaries and tubules. The diagram shown here is very simplified. Nephrons are the structures which filter small molecules of soluble waste products and some water out of the bloodstream but leave larger components like cells and antibodies. The small molecules are excreted as urine.
As we can see, kidneys are vital to our body’s health. But sometimes, kidneys can become damaged. This can be caused by various issues, such as diabetes, infection, or high blood pressure. The damage leads to kidney disease and eventually kidney failure. When kidneys fail, they stop filtering blood properly. When they’re operating at 15 percent or less of their optimal function, the patient is said to be in end-stage renal disease, or kidney failure. This will ultimately disrupt homeostasis in the body. Water and ions will imbalance, and waste products will build up in the blood. This can cause serious issues like nausea, abdominal pain, and shortness of breath.
Thankfully, we have methods to treat kidney failure. One method is to get a kidney transplant from a donor or recently deceased individual. It’s possible for people to donate one of their kidneys, because we only need one kidney to live. However, it can be hard to find people with the compatible blood and tissue types that are needed for a successful transplant. A successful transplant will function for about 10 to 15 years. It is therefore more cost-effective than other options. On the downside, aside from the difficulty of finding a kidney that is a match, people who get kidney transplants must stay on immunosuppressant drugs for the rest of their lives to lessen the chances that their immune system will reject the new kidney.
A second method of treatment is called dialysis. This process uses a dialyzer to filter blood outside of the body. This dialyzer functions as a pseudokidney. A patient is attached to the dialyzer by two separate needles. Blood flows through one of the needles and into the dialysis machine, which filters waste from the blood and restores ionic balance. The blood then travels back into the patient via the second needle. The dialyzer uses semipermeable membranes, which allow molecules to diffuse in and out of the blood as needed.
A type of fluid called dialysis fluid, or dialysate, is placed on one side of the membrane, which is designed with a concentration gradient that will naturally filter and restore electrolyte balance to the blood. The used dialysate which flows back from the dialyzer on the other side of the membrane is collected for removal. Dialysis is a more common method of treatment. This is largely because of the difficulty in finding matching kidneys. Patients using dialysis treatment can have a life expectancy of five to 30 years. However, this requires that the patient follows strict dietary guidelines. It’s also a time-consuming process that interferes with daily life.
Let’s go back to the question. What is the current, most commonly used method for treating kidney failure? We have established that it is dialysis. The most commonly used method for treating kidney failure is dialysis.