The State of Kidney Transplantation in the United States

Although transplantation is the preferred treatment for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients compared to dialysis, the limited number of organ donors limits this treatment option for many patients. Various approaches to increase the number of donors are currently being investigated. While the quality of life and patient survival are far from optimal for ESRD patients, improvements have been seen recently in both dialysis and transplantation outcomes. Prevention of ESRD is preferred to either treatment option.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75288/1/j.1525-139X.2005.00087.x.pd