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Causes of Kidney Failure

By , About.com Guide

Updated October 28, 2011

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Kidney Failure: What Is Kidney Failure?
Normal Kidney Anatomy Image

Normal Kidney Anatomy

Photo: National Institute of Health

What Is Kidney Failure?

Chronic kidney failure, also known as end stage renal disease or ESRD, is a condition where the kidneys lose their ability to filter waste from the bloodstream to convert into urine. Once the kidneys are so damaged that they cannot filter the blood, the patient will require dialysis or a kidney transplant in order to live.

When the kidneys fail, dialysis -- a treatment where the blood is filtered and cleaned to do the work the kidneys cannot -- is performed. While dialysis can do the essential work of the kidneys, the treatment is expensive and time-consuming, requiring a minimum of three 3-hour treatments per week.

Kidney transplant surgery is the only “cure” for end stage renal disease, as a functional kidney transplant will remove the need for dialysis. A transplant poses its own challenges, but provides a great improvement in overall health when the surgery is successful.

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