When Kidneys Fail

Kidneys do a lot of work for the body. They remove wastes and excess fluid from the blood and produce hormones that affect how other organs in the body function.

When your kidneys fail, you will need to choose a treatment option to replace some of the work your kidneys were doing. Your doctor will estimate how much function you have left in your kidneys. This estimate is called your glomerular filtration rate, or GFR. As your GFR decreases, your doctor will work with you to determine when you need to start treatment. There are two kinds of treatment: dialysis and kidney transplant.