Postoperative Care for Kidney Disease Patients

If you or someone you know has advanced kidney disease, you know it’s a real challenge to manage. Advanced kidney disease, often caused by uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension, means weekly dialysis is a lifeline until a kidney transplant becomes possible. Let’s get into what that looks like and why postoperative care is so important.

The Lifeline of Dialysis

Dialysis is the lifeline for patients with end stage kidney disease. When your kidneys stop working, dialysis steps in to do the job. Thanks to President Richard Nixon’s legislation federal funding now covers dialysis for everyone, this life saving treatment is more accessible. In fact, almost 1% of the federal budget goes towards treating end stage kidney disease, so there are now thousands of outpatient dialysis centers across the country.

The Rise of Dialysis Centers

With over 70% of dialysis centers owned by just two for profit companies, it’s big business. Take DaVita, for example. This company was on the verge of bankruptcy and is now worth $13 billion. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows; allegations of questionable management practices have raised concerns about the impact of profit motives on patient care.

The Role of Nephrologists

Nephrology, the branch of internal medicine that deals with kidney care, is very lucrative because of the revenue generated from dialysis treatments. Nephrologists split their time between hospital consultations, procedures and office visits but a big chunk of their income comes from treating dialysis patients. Interestingly, DaVita has been sued multiple times for allegedly giving kickbacks to doctors who refer patients to their centers.

Patient Care Concerns

One of the concerns is that federal guidelines don’t always require a physician to be on site. Only one nurse has to be present at a time, which raises patient safety concerns. Many times nurse practitioners do face-to-face evaluations for dialysis patients because the doctor is busy. This rushed environment can compromise patient care, disinfection protocols are sometimes not followed. Imagine trying to clean a whole house in 5 minutes, that’s what it’s like for the staff to disinfect the machines between patients.

Are Kidney Transplants the Solution?

Unfortunately, there’s also an issue with how kidney transplant information is presented. Federal guidelines require staff to educate patients about the option of a transplant but they don’t have to provide the statistics on the improved quality of life and doubled life expectancy a transplant can offer versus being on dialysis for years. It’s like being told you can upgrade from a regular bike to a high end model without being shown the benefits of the upgrade.

And some patients may spend up to 5 years on dialysis before even being put on the kidney transplant waitlist. Given the shortage of kidneys for transplant in the US, patients deserve to be fully informed about this option.

Conclusion

Living with advanced kidney disease is tough but knowing the ins and outs of dialysis and postoperative care can make a big difference. Remember being informed and proactive about your treatment options including kidney transplants can make a big impact on your quality of life. Stay strong and keep asking questions – your health is worth it!