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When your kidneys fail, your body is no longer able to clean wastes from your bloodstream, and you will quickly become very ill. Unless you get treatment that replaces kidney function artificially, you may die. Fortunately, kidney failure treatments allow you to stay alive and keep functioning from day to day. The three most common treatment options are hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and kidney transplant surgery.

No matter which route you choose, kidney failure treatment is a long and costly ordeal. If you believe you are at risk for kidney disease, you should purchase a critical illness insurance policy to protect you from the financial consequences of kidney failure. CancerPlans.com provides a wide variety of supplemental insurance policies for you to compare.

Here is a brief overview of the main kidney failure treatments:

Hemodialysisfilters your blood through an external machine, cleans it and then returns it to your body. You are attached to the hemodialyzer machine by two sets of tubes: one that siphons your blood outwards, and one that replaces it. Hemodialysis treatments usually occur about three times a week, and each one lasts 3-5 hours.

Peritoneal dialysisallows you to clean your own blood by filling your abdominal cavity with a special cleaning solution. After several hours, the solution is drained and replaced with fresh solution. You can either perform the filling and draining functions manually or use a machine called a cycler.

Kidney transplantis just what it sounds like – you receive a new, functional kidney from a healthy donor (either living or deceased) that matches your blood type and other criteria. Often, waiting lists for kidney donation are extremely long, and it may take up to two years to find a suitable kidney.

 http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/choosingtreatment/