By Assoc Prof Dr Lim Soo Kun
Consultant nephrologist and
Head of Renal Division, Department of Medicine, University of Malaya

For most people whose kidneys have failed, the best treatment is a kidney transplant. While dialysis – whether haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis – is a fantastic treatment that allows a person with kidney failure to live with fairly satisfactory health, it still has certain limitations.

One is in terms of long-term health complications. While dialysis does a good job at removing waste products and excess fluids from our blood, it is not a perfect replacement for a functioning kidney. Thus, those undergoing this procedure are still vulnerable to chronic complications such as anaemia,  renal bone disease, heart disease and stroke, among others. They will also face rather strict limitations in terms of lifestyle, especially when it comes to work and travel, as dialysis is a procedure that needs to be frequently repeated with specialised medical equipment. Those undergoing haemodialysis need to go to a haemodialysis centre three times a week for a period of around four hours each time. Meanwhile, those on peritoneal dialysis need to perform the procedure four times a day for 30 to 40 minutes each time with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, or once a day (usually during bedtime) for a period of 8 to 10 hours with automated peritoneal dialysis. Most importantly, in terms of survival, only about half of dialysis patients are still alive five years after they start treatment. 

Full-featured Windows laptop, 11.6” touch display, tough chassis, smart innovation and easy management to boost learning efficiency, in convertible flip & tablet form