My husband had emergency surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm which lasted well over 9 hours, as a result the blood flow to the kidneys was tied off and they are not working at all, GFR 6. The hospital has placed him on 3xweek dialysis, they are not offering any other options, are there any? They have also diagnosed him as being diabetic and have started insulin, neither of these health issues were present prior to the surgery. We are very thankful that he survived the surgery but are wondering what his quality of life will be?
Any supplements that may help the kidney functions?? Foods that help bring the kidneys back?
Thanks for any and all suggestions.
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skmartin511
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Hi skmartin511! I’m not a nephrologist. Although grateful he survived I am very sorry that your husband is in this position. Please ask his physician this question because I don’t think there are any Nephrologists on here. Even if there were every body is unique so the physicians treated him would be the only ones to mention this question to. I’m keeping you both in my thoughts and prayers. Hang in there as I know this is not an easy situation to deal with.
Downinil has great advice - your husband's nephrologist is the best person to answer your questions. Some situations reverse over time, while others do not. IF his situation is irreversible, ask his team about positioning him for a transplant. That is the preferred treatment for kidney failure - it generally provides a much better quality of life. My husband, a diabetic, was also on dialysis but then received a transplant. It's a remarkable improvement, returning his life to near normal. The criteria to start looking into getting on the transplant list is a eGFR of 20 or less. Your husband's current eGFR of 6 is well below that. I'm sure this has been a terrible shock to both of you. You're a very loving and caring person for looking out for his interests. Not everyone does that. Hugs!
Im also not a Doctor but trust me no other options. What's still possible is that kidney damage has not so heavy and maybe function can recover in a period of time. Keep cross fingers. All the best!
Did he go into acute kidney injury or did something more severe happen?
I had a similar experience a year and a half ago. Mine was due to kidney cancer and bleeding from an artery opening up in recovery which caused acute kidney injury.
My GFR was at 6 and I had to do dialysis for a couple months until my nephrologist took me off at 20 GFR. A year and a half later I am at 35 GFR. They expected my kidney to recover within the week and were surprised a month later that it had not. They really just don’t know, and also told me there was nothing I could do except wait.
As everyone else has said, talk to your nephrologist.
I'm so sorry that he had to go through this and it is a horrible thing for you to go through with him. Now is the time to place him in the care of his doctors and try to listen to and take in their care plans for him . Yes, dialysis and insulin are lifesaving treatments along with his post surgical care. There may be a renal dietician and an endocrinologist you can also talk to for recommendations. Try to go into meetings with some questions prepared and always try to have someone else with you like a friend or family member for support. It may very well be a long road to recovery and ups and downs along the way, so do try to find support where you can . I highly recommend cardiac rehab when he is ready, which I did after having had stress related cardiomyopathy. You'll just have to take things day to day to handle this ,so again don't be afraid to get help in the form of a support group or whatever. Take time to go for a walk or whatever helps you to relax. Take care
In my particular case, I had AKI from Meningococcal Septicemia. My kidneys failed & I was on dialysis 3 months. Specialist told my family that if function was going to return, it should happen within 3 months. By some miracle, at exactly 3 months, kidneys started functioning again. Gradually came back to 90%+ function & last 10 years. I hope the dialysis helps him regain more, but please ask his specialist.
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