As South Africa marks Kidney Awareness Week, patients with advanced kidney disease are urged to plan ahead for dialysis treatment.
By 2022, when the last statistics were recorded, more than 9,000 South Africans were on life-saving dialysis treatment.
Durban vascular surgeon at Lenmed eThekwini Hospital and Heart Centre Dr Vinesh Padayachy said central to preparation is vascular access which allows blood to be filtered during dialysis.
Padayachy said the best outcomes happen when patients start planning well before dialysis becomes urgent.
"Ideally planning begins well before dialysis is needed, allowing time for a fistula to mature. A fistula is a surgically created connection between an artery and a vein, often in the arm, that makes dialysis safer and more effective," he said.
For several weeks to months after surgery, the access site requires careful monitoring.