Kidney Failure Treatment
Call for an AppointmentWhen your kidneys no longer function adequately on their own, one of several forms of dialysis or a kidney transplant are your options. Dialysis acts as an artificial kidney that mechanically removes waste and excess fluid from the body. A kidney transplant replaces a damaged kidney with a new, healthy organ. If you are facing kidney failure -- also referred to as end-stage renal failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD) -- and must make this choice, we help you understand your options and choose the treatment that is right for you.
For those well enough to receive one, kidney transplantation is the standard of care for end-stage kidney disease. Our kidney transplant team has performed thousands of complex kidney transplants that have improved the quality of life for our patients and their loved ones.
Request an Evaluation
To be evaluated for a transplant, talk with your nephrologist about a referral. If you need assistance obtaining a referral, our transplant program coordinators are happy to help.
After we review your records, you will be scheduled for a day-long evaluation and will be assigned a pre-transplant coordinator who can answer your questions and help you arrange the tests and appointments associated with your initial evaluation. If you are a candidate, we review your transplant options -- either a kidney from a living donor or placement on the waitlist.
Duke Health offers kidney transplant evaluations and ongoing management of people with kidney disease at clinics in Durham and Raleigh.
Why Choose Duke
Nationally Recognized Leaders
Our nephrologists, transplant surgeons, vascular surgeons, and interventional radiologists are nationally recognized leaders in treating kidney failure. Our transplant center prepares you for a kidney transplant while you are on the waitlist. If you have a compatible living donor, you can schedule your surgery when you and your donor are ready. If you and your donor are not compatible, we have several options, including paired exchange which matches you and your donor to a compatible pair elsewhere.
Our Nephrologists See Patients in Dialysis Centers
If you choose in-center dialysis, our nephrologists are available throughout the region to see in-center hemodialysis patients once a week. We believe this leads to better patient care and helps to ensure our patients experience the best possible outcomes.
We Offer Several Inpatient Dialysis Options
We also offer acute dialysis services for inpatients, including continuous renal placement therapy -- a gradual method of removing fluid and wastes from the blood of patients too ill to be treated with conventional hemodialysis.
Our Team Works Together to Ensure Personalized Care
Our nephrologists, vascular surgeons, interventionists (doctors specializing in minimally invasive procedures), dialysis nurses, and sonographers (specialists in ultrasound imaging) work together to ensure you get the highest quality of personalized care.
Simpler, Safer Peritoneal Dialysis
Our vascular surgeons use advanced procedures to access blood vessels for dialysis treatment, typically using your body's natural defenses to prevent infection. Our surgeons are experts in identifying the safest locations to create surgical ports to access your blood vessels. Better access to your blood vessels helps make dialysis faster and more efficient.
You May Have Access to Our Clinical Trials
As a Duke patient, you may be eligible to participate in clinical trials that test new therapies before they become widely available.
Where you receive your care matters. Duke University Hospital is proud of our team and the exceptional care they provide. They are why our nephrology program is nationally ranked, and the highest ranked program in North Carolina, according to U.S. News & World Report for 2020–2021.