Hello all. Question about the Implantable Artificial Kidney

[TJenkins]

Greetins DaVita Community,



I finally decided to join the Davita community. I'd like to thank everyone who is involved on this site. It's very informative. I'm a PKD patient and my GFR is at a constant decline. I know there's no avoiding dialysis. I recently stumbled on an article about the Implantable Artificial Kidney that is being developed at The University of California, San Francisco. Now, I have never heard of this before, until a week ago. I've been on this site as well as other sites and it's never mentioned (Except on the Kidneybuzz site). According to this article https://tinyurl.com/levo23g as well as others online, the human clinical trials and testing will be conducted later this year. And the release date is estimated to be in 2020.

Why isn't the Implantable Artificial Kidney mentioned much at all on kidney related websites? You'd think it would be huge news, especially when they're doing human clinical testing this year. Is it too good to be true? I'm currently getting myself ready mentally for dialysis in the future, and don't want to get my hopes up. I asked my Nephrologist and it didn't even seem like he knew anything about it. He just told me it'll never happen, even though I told him the human clinical trials start later this year. If anyone has more insight on this, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks

[genbug2k]

That is interesting. I am fighting against the idea of Dialysis. At 83 I figure I may not live long enough to worry, but I am on Stage 4, My GFR is staying at 28-29 for a year now, so hopeful I can keep the numbers that high for a while with the dieting.

[smj]

Genbug, with GFR between 28 and 29, you are in good shape! I didn't start dialysis until mine was at 9.