How the Chronic Dialysis Patients Feel About Renal Transplantation

Objective: Chronic kidney disease has shown a gradual rise in prevalence. Kidney transplantation is the gold standard of renal replacement therapy and is associated with improved quality of life and decreased morbidity and mortality. The main goal of the present study was to understand the attitudes of patients with end-stage renal disease toward and apprehensions for renal transplantation.

Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included patients age >18 years without a history of transplantation who were receiving chronic dialysis for at least 1 month. A newly developed questionnaire form was used to obtain the necessary information on the attitudes of the patients. The questionnaire consisted of 59 questions, and the patients’ answers were evaluated.

Results: A total of 85 patients who provided consent were included in the study. Of the 85 patients, 71 (83.5%) were on hemodialysis (HD), and 14 (16.5%) were on peritoneal dialysis. Most of the patients did not consider gender, race, belief, lifestyle of the donor, and the living or deceased status of the donor to be a barrier for their transplantation. Of the 85 patients, 37.6% reported that they had their family members screened to ascertain their suitability for donation.

Conclusion: Patients who have end-stage kidney disease should be informed about the renal transplantation preparation process, follow-up process, and post-transplantation treatment and care.

Cite this article as: Dik E, Bülbül E, Uysal Ö, Kazancıoğlu R. How the Chronic Dialysis Patients Feel About Renal Transplantation. Turk J Nephrol 2019; 28(3): 178-82.