If one kidney of a person is damaged or its nephrone fails to work, then a person can live on one kidney also, but if both kidneys fails to work then this disease is called kidney failure. This can be treated by two ways:
i) Dialysis.
ii) Kidney transplant.
1-Dialysis:
There are two methods of dialysis:
A) Arterial Blood Dialysis (Haemodialysis): -
In this process an artificial kidney machine is used. Machine consists of sterile dialysis
fluid and long length dialysis tubing. The arterial blood of a person with kidney failure
is pumped slowly through dialysis tubing. The waste products are diffused out in the
dialysis fluid. Blood is sends back to the patient in forearm’s vein.
B) Body Cavity Dialysis (Peritoneal Dialysis): -
In this process dialyzing fluid is pumped into the abdominal peritoneal cavity (a space
between gut and abdomen) through portable machine. Waste products diffuses in
dialyzing fluid which drawn back from body through another pump.
Characteristics of Dialyzing fluid:
• It consists of solution of amino acids, glucose and mineral ions.
• As dialyzing fluid does not contain urea so urea from blood easily diffused into
fluid.
• Concentration of glucose, amino acids and mineral ions are similar to blood
composition, in order to prevent the loss of these nutrients.
• Osmosis of water into the blood plasma also occurs.
2-Kidney Transplant:
As process of kidney needs to repeat after few days which is unpleasant and torched
to patient. Therefore patient is given another treatment called kidney transplant. In
this process one kidney of health person is transplanted to diseased person. The new
kidney is connected to patient’s blood and urinary system. But in this process tissue
and body chemistry of donor and patient should be similar. If blood groups does not
match then body start problems like tissue rejection. In this problem body produce
antibodies and destroy white blood cells. To avoid this problem anti-rejection drugs
are injected in the body of patient but it weakens the body ability to fight against
infection.
Treatment of Kidney Stones:
The kidney stones can be diagnosed by X-Rays and sonography by ultrasound
machine. The renal surgery for removal of stones is now being replaced in some cases
with the lithotripsy (Breaking of stone with ultrasound waves).