[Hemodialysis as kidney replacement therapy].

Haemodialysis is the most frequently used renal replacement therapy and in Europe keeps alive more than 80,000 patients with end-stage renal failure. Three times weekly the patient is connected to the artificial kidney and uraemic toxins are removed using a filter permeable for water and small solutes. This treatment lasts about 3-4 hours and can be performed in hospitals, dialysis centers or in the patient's own home. With haemodialysis, patients can survive for many years with a good quality of life. However, dialysis treatment is time-consuming, there are dietary restrictions, and the patients become increasingly dependent on medical personnel and relatives. It is therefore not surprising that most dialysis patients hope for a kidney transplantation.