Dialysis May Prolong Life for Older Patients. But Not by Much.

Even before a patient met her new nephrologist, she had made her decision: Although her kidneys were failing, she didn’t want to begin dialysis. The patient, 77, a retired social worker and pastor in a small town, knew many relatives and friends with advanced kidney disease. She watched them go through the process of dialysis – traveling to centers multiple times a week, spending hours having waste and excess fluids removed from their blood. She didn’t want to go through that regimen, saying it wouldn’t extend her life or improve her situation.