The History of Dialysis and Transplantation

This chapter explains the evolution of haemodialysis (HD), peritoneal dialysis (PD), and transplantation. HD, as a routine treatment for renal failure, was initiated in the 1960s, followed by continuous ambulatory PD in the late 1970s. The recognition of the need for immunosuppression in transplantation in the 1960s enabled it to become the preferred treatment for many patients. Kidney transplantation as a therapeutic and practical option for renal replacement therapy was first reported in published literature at the turn of the twentieth century. The first known attempts at renal transplantation on humans were made without immunosuppression between 1906 and 1923 using pig, sheep, goat, and subhuman primate donors. These first efforts were conducted in France and Germany but others followed. The recognition of the need for immunosuppression in transplantation in the 1960s enabled it to become the preferred treatment for many patients.