Suffering with kidney complications can lead to a decrease in the quality of life, even resulting in a reduced life expectancy. For individuals who suffer from kidney disease, often, the need for dialysis becomes a crucial part of the healthcare process.
With over two million individuals in the United States suffering from kidney complications, the risk and complications associated with kidney disease, in the United States, is astounding. As the baby boomers begin to enter into the aging process, the number of individuals requiring dialysis is only expected to rise over the next decade.
If you are a patient who requires extensive kidney treatment, it is important to understand what treatment should be expected as your condition progresses. Often, with the need for dialysis, it will be necessary to undergo a surgical procedure known as arteriovenous fistula, or AV fistula. Directly related to the successful application of dialysis, AV fistula surgery is a procedure in which an artery and a vein are connected, usually in the forearm, to allow for efficient application of dialysis treatment.
When your physician, usually a nephrologist, believes your kidney complications will require dialysis in the future, the recommendation to proceed with AV fistula surgery is usually made several months in advance. Because the fistula is required for efficient dialysis treatment, and because it takes several months to develop post-surgically, the arteriovenous fistula surgery may be recommended well before you even realize your kidneys are failing that extensively.
What can you expect following AV fistula surgery? In many cases, the complications associated with the surgical site are a direct result of the initiation of dialysis, itself. Infection at the site where needle insertion is made is quite uncommon, although a possibility. Occasionally, blood clots may develop in the fistula as well and, while not life threatening will require additional surgery to remove and free the space needed for successful dialysis.
While kidney disease is a leading healthcare crisis in the United States, many patients who are experiencing kidney complications are preparing for the need for dialysis early by electively proceeding with AV fistula surgery. Knowing that proper diet, coupled with AV fistula surgery and subsequent dialysis can provide for a relatively normal and productive life, leading to an improvement in overall health.
As with any complication involving your kidneys, the key to your optimal health and recovery lies in the early detection and treatment of the health complication. When suffering from potential kidney failure, it is important to openly discuss the matters involving dialysis and proceed with AV fistula surgery early in your kidney treatment so as to be adequately prepared for the dialysis treatment to come.
Christine Cadena, Yahoo! Contributor Network
