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Home / Ask the Expert / Scleroderma and Dialysis

Scleroderma and Dialysis

April 24, 2007 By Arthritis Center

Question

My husband is on peritoneal dialysis after losing his kidney function, and almost his life, in a scleroderma renal crisis 18 months ago. He is reluctant to consider a kidney transplant. What is his life expectancy on dialysis? There is no lung involvement that we know of yet, but esophogus, stomach, digestion all affected.

Answer

I’m not sure anyone can give you an answer that would be in any way useful. There is a wide variation in life expectancy given how complicated patients are. Your nephrologist can given you general figures for patients on dialysis, but most patients on dialysis have kidney failure from diabetes or hypertension.

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