Systematic Treatment Plans for PKD Patients

PKD is a congenital and genetic disease and patients will have to live with multiple cysts in their kidneys for life-long time. Since these cysts will continue to enlarge and pose increasing threaten to kidney structure and kidney functions, patients need an all-round and systematic treatments and nursing cares.

The following is a systematic treatment plans for PKD patients.

1. General treatment. First, do not worry too much once being diagnosed with PKD. Early stage PKD will not affect normal daily life and patients need to have good mood and positive attitude, avoid salty, spicy foods and have regular work-and-rest time. However if the cysts begin to cause symptoms and discomforts, early treatments should be sought to delay its progression into renal failure.

2. Surgery. Surgeries for removing cysts in the kidneys include aspiration, decortication and laparoscopic decortication. Surgical removal can relive oppression to renal parenchyma, improve ischemia and hypoxia in the kidneys, protect residual kidney functions and slow down deterioration rate of the illness. However we know that renal cysts in PKD are gene-related and there are numerous cysts of all sizes, surgery can only help remove large cysts and can not solve the root problem.

3. Herbal medicines. Herbal medicines for PKD is conservative and natural compared with surgery. Herbal medicines can not remove the cysts and achieve quick and obvious effects as surgery, but it can shrink cysts of all sizes and achieve lasting effect.

4. Dialysis and kidney transplantation. For end stage PKD patients, dialysis will be needed to sustain life activities and hemodialysis is preferred.

5. Symptomatic treatments

·Hematuria

In case of hematuria (blood in urine), patients should reduce activities, have adequate bed rest and receive proper treatments after making clear the exact cause of blood urine. If hematuria is too serious to be controlled, renal artery embolization can help.

·Infections

Infections in renal parenchyma and cyst infections are the main complications of PKD. Combined use of antibiotics will be prescribed by doctors.

·Stones in upper urinary tract

Different treatments and measures will be taken according to the size, component and location of the stones. However extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is not recommended in case of cystic rupture due to the shock.

·Hypertension

The activation of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system is the major reason of high blood pressure in PKD. Treatments should aim at lowering blood pressure and treating enlarged cysts.