This is when a patient’s kidneys are unable to remove wastes and excess fluid from the blood. Kidney failure is divided into two general categories, acute and chronic.

Acute kidney injury occurs suddenly and may be the result of injury, infection, drugs or poisons. Kidneys may return to normal function if they are not too badly damaged.

Chronic kidney disease means kidney function has slowly deteriorated over a number of years and often the kidneys do not get better. When chronic kidney disease progresses to end stage renal disease (ESRD), it is considered irreversible or unable to be cured.  The most common cause of end stage kidney disease in New Zealand is diabetes.

Dialysis
Dialysis is a treatment that removes wastes and excess fluid from the blood when patients’ kidneys are not able to do it on their own. It comes in a number of forms, both continuous and intermittent, involving filtration and dialysis. In acute kidney injury the dialysis may only be needed for a few days or weeks while the kidneys recover. In some cases long-term dialysis may be needed.

Dialysis in the SDHB is based is a home based service with training undertaken at Dunedin Hospital.

Kidney transplantation

The best treatment for end stage kidney disease is a kidney transplant.  Not all patients on dialysis are suitable for a kidney transplant but all patients on dialysis should be considered for a kidney transplant.

Nephrology services in the SDHB belong to the South Island Renal Transplant Group. Transplant surgery usually takes place in Christchurch.