Life expectancy with kidney failure

Patients whose kidney function is no longer sufficient and one dialysis have very different life expectancies. The prognosis depends a lot on the underlying disease leading to renal failure, from Age and from the present Comorbidities from.

Life expectancy with dialysis

There are patients who for decades regularly one Dialysis therapy However, there are also patients who are so seriously ill that their life expectancy is even with dialysis less than a year lies.

It is not always possible to predict how effective the therapy will be before dialysis. A prognosis regarding the life expectancy of a single patient is almost impossible to give. This is because the factors mentioned above play an essential role and it cannot be foreseen how, for example, the Comorbidities develop.

It can also occur during dialysis Complications such as an infection. In debilitated, very sick patients, this can significantly reduce life expectancy.

Nevertheless, the treating kidney doctor (nephrologist) can provide advice on whether or not dialysis makes sense. Overall, more than half of the patients who are dependent on dialysis are still alive after it has started more than 10 years. Around every fourth patient is alive after the start of dialysis another 20 years and longer.

Life expectancy without dialysis

Life expectancy also depends significantly on patients with renal insufficiency without dialysis therapy Basic disease, concomitant diseases and Age of the patient.

Also the Course of kidney failure is important. Is it a acute or chronic kidney failure? The acute form often develops quickly, the chronic form in many cases over years or decades. Chronic renal insufficiency does not always result in a complete loss of kidney function, so the life expectancy here can almost reach that of patients without kidney disease.

However, if there is terminal renal failure, i.e. end-stage kidney failure, then life expectancy is between 6 and 32 months.

If dialysis is refused or if it is not an option, an attempt is made to treat it with medication and dietary measures. Life expectancy can therefore be very different even without dialysis. The attending physician can help in deciding whether dialysis is a sensible therapy option or whether the effect of dialysis does not outweigh the difficulties associated with the therapy.

Life expectancy without treatment

So without any treatment without dialysis and without drug therapy Terminal renal failure, i.e. end-stage renal failure, is fatal in most cases for days to months.

If the kidney is diseased in the terminal stage, it can no longer excrete the urinary substances, these gradually accumulate as Toxins in the body and lead ultimately to death. Here too, the acute form of kidney failure usually proceeds relatively quickly and, if left untreated, can quickly lead to death. The chronic form is often more insidious. If the kidney is no longer able to function, both forms lead to death more or less quickly.