Without treatment a patient with kidney failure would die within a matter of a few weeks to a few months. Both transplantation and dialysis are successful in prolonging life. Patients have lived for more than 30 years with a functioning kidney transplant or by receiving long-term dialysis treatment. However, a majority of treated kidney failure patients have a much reduced life-span - in the case of dialysis, a 50 year old patient would have a 50:50 chance of surviving 6 to 8 years.

The survival of patients treated by transplantation and by dialysis is improving but at the same time more and more elderly patients are being treated for kidney failure and many of these patients have complications such as diabetes and heart and blood vessel disease that shorten life-span.

There is much ongoing medical research which is seeking to improve dialysis technology so as to prolong the life-span of dialysis patients. Moreover, general improvement in management of the kidney failure patient, even before he or she commences dialysis treatment, is likely to improve that patient's survival on dialysis treatment.

The above are intended to be general information and not intended to be treated as a diagnosis whatsoever. You are asked to seek professional medical advice relating to all questions on treatment, care, diagnosis and medication.