Show Captions. If life is like a river, than the longer it is, the better. And America has more than its share of long, winding rivers, from serene waterways through the plains to rushing rapids in canyons to enormous channels that are the lifeblood for commerce and transportation in the region. Think you know what America's longest river is?
Average life expectancy on dialysis is 5-10 years, however, many patients have lived well on dialysis for 20 or even 30 years. Talk to your healthcare team about how to take care of yourself and stay healthy on dialysis.
A Dr. Audrey K. Chun, MD , Geriatric Medicine, answered on behalf of The Mount Sinai Health System. With the use of current immunosuppressive medications the risk of sudden kidney rejection is low, and if it occurs it can be treated very effectively. Kidney transplants last relatively long. Fifty percent of kidneys from a living donor still function after 16 to 20 years, and with organs from deceased donors, a transplanted kidney should last 8 to 10 years. Most people who have had a kidney transplant die with a functioning kidney -- the cause of death is usually another disease or illness.