Almost one million people around the world suffer from kidney disease and owe their lives to dialysis or transplantation. Over the past 20 years their prospects for treatment and survival have dramatically improved thanks to medical advances. This book has been written with these patients and their families in mind. After explaining the causes and symptoms of kidney failure, the various treatment options are considered, in particular dialysis and transplantations. Throughout, the book aims to help patients understand how this disease and its treatment will affect their lives, and provides information covering every practical aspect of the disease.