Explosion of renal replacement therapy after the implosion of the Soviet Empire.

After the implosion of the Soviet Empire, renal replacement therapy in Central and Eastern Europe has undergone dramatic transformation and improvement with respect to quantity and quality. While the prevalence (ie, the number of patients on renal replacement therapy) is still lower than in Western Europe, the incidence (ie, the number of patients accepted for renal replacement therapy) has by now reached on average the level seen in Western Europe, albeit with wide differences between the individual countries. The rate of renal transplantation is still highly variable. Substantial differences of organizational structures for renal replacement therapy exist, with private organizations gradually taking over from public services.