Survival and 'true' rehabilitation after dialysis and transplantation: a 7-year follow-up.

Serial follow-ups of processed and recorded semi-quantitative data (bone biopsies, nerve conduction velocity, glucose A-V, etc.) have been carried out in 152 chronic uraemic patients of which 39 underwent kidney transplantation. The comparative studies have been performed in order to evaluate the magnitude of survival/rehabilitation ratio due to dialysis and transplantation. After a minimum of five years, the overall survival rate is better on dialysis. The most important determining factors seem to be: type of donor in transplantation and the nature of renal lesions and residual Ccr in dialysis. 'True' or 'effective' rehabilitation has been documented only after transplantation. Dialysis does not reverse systemic uraemic changes and the rehabilitation in survivors may be 'apparent'. Dialysis may prevent systemic uraemia, provided that starting time of treatment is gauged earlier (residual Ccr greater than 10).