Cost of Maintenance Dialysis Vs. Transplantation
New studies and medical breakthroughs offer convincing evidence from many medical authorities and patients that kidney transplants, rather than long-term maintenance dialysis, holds the key to more cost-effective management of end-stage kidney failure.
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Significance
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A 1998 study conducted by the University of Maryland indicated that the cost of a kidney transplant is equal to that of two and one-half years of dialysis treatment. “We found that the break even point was 2.7 years for all of the cases we analyzed,” said Dr. Eugene J. Schweitzer, a transplant surgeon at the University Of Maryland Medical Center.
Transplant Cost
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The same institution reports the average first year cost of transplantation, including surgery and ongoing follow up, to be $89,939 with annual expenses falling to $16,043 after the first year.
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Dialysis Cost
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The American Association of Kidney Patients estimates the annual cost of maintenance dialysis treatment to hover in excess of $30,000.
Peritoneal vs. Hemodialysis
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A 2009 study published in the American Journal of Managed Care suggests that individuals undergoing peritoneal dialysis rather than hemodialysis experienced significantly lower overall expense, primarily due to a larger number of hemodialysis patients requiring in-patient hospital care.
Effects
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The drop in price for kidney transplants owes much to the development of better technology and medications that allow shorter hospital stays and more effective and cheaper, oral anti-rejection prescriptions.
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References
- Transplantation: The Shrinking Renal Replacement Therapy "Break-Even" Point1; December 27, 1998
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Kidney Transplant Costs
- American Association of Kidney Patients; Cost Associated with Home Dialysis
- American Journal of Managed Care; Cost Comparison of Peritoneal Dialysis Versus Hemodialysis in End-Stage Renal Disease; August, 2009
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
