After coming across artificial kidney news, have you ever found yourself asking whether an artificial kidney is successful or not? If yes, then it is the right place to find the answer.

A healthy kidney is one of the most vital organs in the human body. But less than a century after the discovery of the kidney and how it works, doctors are now using an artificial organ to function as a replacement kidney. Will this breakthrough succeed or will it be a waste of time? Let’s find out in this article.

While scientists had some successes with the “artificial kidney,” they ran into some stumbling blocks. It concludes that while the technology was an inspiration, it wasn’t the breakthrough the field had hoped for.

A lot of artificial kidneys were developed, but most of the earlier models had too many problems. After many artificial kidney human trials, one of them just worked, and it meant the difference between life and death for hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Kidney failure, which can be fatal if left untreated, is now rare.

What is an Artificial Kidney?

An artificial kidney is an attempt to imitate a natural kidney that surgeons use during surgery. When the kidneys can no longer do their job, hemodialysis or artificial kidney help to eliminate waste materials from the blood. An artificial kidney machine filters wastes, salts, and liquids from the blood in the process of hemodialysis. These days, hemodialysis is the only effective treatment for renal failure. The following three questions will help you decide on the success of artificial kidneys so far.

How Does Artificial Kidney Help?

An artificial kidney center is a place to cure kidney patients with the process known as Hemodialysis. It involves removing blood from the body and filtering it through a machine. The artificial kidney machine is called a dialyzer and it is a highlight feature that cleans the blood before returning it to the body. To perform hemodialysis, a patient’s body must have an access point that allows blood to flow from the body to the dialyzer and back. Hemodialysis access points include arteriovenous (AV) fistulas, AV grafts, and central venous catheters (HD cath). The common access in an adult patient’s body is a fistula, while in children, it is a central venous catheter.

The device is in the form of a large computer that works along with a pump. Blood flow, blood pressure, the amount of fluid evacuated, and other crucial statistics are all monitored by it. The dialysate, or dialysis solution, is the fluid bath that goes into the dialyzer and aids in the removal of poisons from the bloodstream. The dialysis machine’s blood pump maintains the blood moving by pumping blood through the blood tubes that transport blood from the body to the dialyzer and back.

The Artificial kidney machine has two sections: one for dialysis and the other for blood. To prevent mixing, a semipermeable membrane separates the two parts. The dialysate and waste flow through the barrier but not blood cells. The dialysis solution, together with the waste, is subsequently flushed away. Electrolytes in the dialysis solution help to keep the electrolytes in the patient’s blood in balance. It then goes back to the patient’s body after filtration. Also, if you are here just for the knowledge purpose, here’s an article that might be of interest – “The best graphic designs of mountains for download”

What Are the Benefits?

As time passes, the population continues to expand, which means more people will suffer from chronic kidney disease. Artificial kidneys give hope to these people and also make it possible for people to live again. Let’s take a look at its benefits.

• Nurses perform treatments in artificial kidney center for the patients, which means they do not have to put in any effort on their own.
• Regular contact with other hemodialysis patients and attendants keeps patients encouraged.
• Patients typically receive three treatments every week, giving them 4 days off in between.
• There is no need to keep any equipment or materials at home.
• Medical relief is readily available in an emergency.

What Are the Disadvantages?

Soon after the development of implantable bioartificial kidneys, scientists detected some disadvantages associated with the artificial kidney machine. For instance:

• Patients may be required to visit an artificial kidney center three times each week.
• It is possible that patients will not be able to choose their own treatment schedule.
• Permanent access is necessary; for adults, this is commonly in the arm, while for children, it is in the neck/chest area.
• Doctors require needles to access a fistula.
• Infection can enter a patient’s body through access locations.
• Renal diet and hydration restrictions are necessary.
• Some people experience side effects like leg cramps, Headaches, nausea, and weakness.

Takeaway:

Every technological advancement comes with a set of ifs and buts, and the same goes with an Artificial Kidney. Judging its success is difficult, but it is certain that these kidneys have helped in saving the lives of thousands of people around the world. We can see how the future could hold advancements in artificial kidneys, providing longer and better lives to humans.