Kidney Treatment

[oliver61]

I would be interested to know experiences of any patients who have travelled to a specialist kidney hospital in China for treatment. Kind Regards

[Boborama]

I know that a friend of mine told me his buddy was desperate for a kidney after waiting for years...he received one in China but died from an infection while he was still there in recovery.

[Hidden]

Do you really think that if their "success" was real it would not be hailed worldwide and used in every nation on Earth?

Save your time and money and use what is known and proven to slow the progression of CKD. There is no cure for Kidney Disease.

[BarronS in reply to Hidden]

No. But they do not mind human rights abuse so they harvest body parts off of prisoners and other political opponents. So if you have money, you can get a replacement from China.

[Hidden in reply to BarronS]

And that makes it right? You've got to be kidding me. Did you read the first response to this question? If so, read it again until you understand the risks you take before you advise someone to follow that path.

[Jayhawker]

I would definitely discourage you from traveling to a country where you have no way of knowing much about the medical care you would receive.

I understand how desperately we each want better treatments for stage v CKD. The anxiety I experienced on a personal level as my kidneys failed, no matter what my nephrologist and I did to try to stabilize their function, is very fresh in my mind. Having grown up in a home with a parent who had CKD and was ultimately on in home hemodialysis, I knew EXACTLY where I might find myself if my kidneys continued to deteriorate. There were lots of sleepless nights. And more stress and anxiety than I care to admit.

Now, 81/2 years into my journey, I'm relieved that I've finally been able to put the stress and anxiety behind me. I'm at peace with my situation. I still do everything I can to take care of myself. But I also realize that there are treatments that will keep me feeling and functioning well. I have met so many people who have lived 20 years on PD dialysis. And, they have had good lives while using PD dialysis. To a person they acknowledge the importance of committing to PD and then making it a part of your daily life. Some do exchanges 4 times a day. Others use the cycler overnight. And still others do a combination of the two.

My mother and I were Dad's in home hemodialysis care providers. He had no infections and no hospitalizations And this was without a fistula. I have no doubt that if we were able to do that that I'll be able to master PD dialysis for myself at home. And, I know my father would be pointing out the benefits of PD dialysis; affirming that it's a great option for me. He had such a great attitude about his CKD and a wonderful sense of humor. I have thought of him often over the past 81/2 years. He taught me that we can live well with a serious chronic health condition. What a great gift to give your children!

Moreover, in addition to the treatment options currently available for people with Stage V CKD, there are several innovations under development that will be game changers for us. Some of them may be available within the next few years, e.g., the AWAK, a 24-7 wearable PD dialysis system. I'm linking an article that describes some of what is currently under development below. In addition to the AWAK I've been watching the work on a tap water fluid delivery system for dialysis, That would be another major innovation that would make dialysis much less burdensome for those of us implementing dialysis in our homes. Of course, the implantable artificial kidney project has captured the attention of many throughout the world; although, it sounds like it's still at least 2-3 years away from human subject testing. Regardless, with these projects underway, we have reason for hope . . .

ajkdblog.org/2018/10/11/por...

For me, although PD dialysis will definitely be a major change in my life; that's all it will be. It won't end my life. I expect that I'll adjust to it fairly quickly. And, I expect that I'll both feel and function well while using PD dialysis. I'm so very thankful that this option is a viable option for me! It will be different; but it will definitely be alright.

Jayhawker

[steve680]

Hospitals outside of the US always seemed kind of sketchy to me. What do they know that US hospitals don't know? Probably not a lot, but American medicine tends to be slow to catch on to certain trends. I remember a time when one had to go to Thailand to get a sex change operation....

I think I know of the "kidney hospital" in China you're referring to. I think they use Chinese herbs to treat kidney failure, or something like that. Some people have been helped with Chinese herbs if their CKD is not too far advanced. However, I can understand wanting to look abroad for treatments as American Nephrologists don't explore alternative treatments and have one of the worst success rates in treating CKD of any "civilized" country.

There's a lot happening in the US that's currently in the "research" stage. Places like Mayo Clinic, Stanford Hospital, UCSF and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute are all researching better alternatives to dialysis. For instance, here is what Harvard is doing regarding kidneys:

hsci.harvard.edu/kidney-dis...

The long-term goal is to grow a new kidney using stem cells and nanotechnology, but that could be 30 years away or longer. So Harvard came up with short and long-term goals:

hsci.harvard.edu/kidney-dis...

[Jayhawker in reply to steve680]

Yes, the work underway at Harvard is also promising. Several of these projects are establishing short term, mid term, and long term goals. Consequently, those of us in renal failure may incur some benefits from these projects as the research unfolds.

For me, even things like tap water dialysis fluid delivery would be a game changer—I’d much prefer the increased water bill over 60 or more boxes of PD dialysis fluid being delivered to my home monthly🐶

And the wearable PD dialysis system under development from Singapore is also something that would change life in major ways. It would promote 24/7 dialysis with a very portable system. I’d be delighted to have a 2 liter dialysis device I can carry with me via a messenger-style over the shoulder bag. That device has already undergone initial human subject trials in Singapore and has been given special new device approval by the FDA as of January 2019. I believe they are planning trials in the US for the AWAK, the PD system I’m describing, in 2020.

Frankly, I’d be thrilled to use some variation of the AWAK for PD dialysis.

So, I’m watching all of this as it evolves. I’m guardedly optimistic even as I prepare to use the PD dialysis technology available to us today.

Jayhawker