Years ago, kidney failure was always fatal. It gives some people hope to know that there are treatments today that can help them to live long and live well.

But others fear they will have no quality of life on dialysis. They may even insist there is no way they want to be kept alive by a machine. Choosing a treatment––or not––is a big decision, and this module of Kidney School is here to help you think about the options.

 What happens when kidneys fail?