Traveling With Kidney Disease

The ability to travel can be extremely important for someone’s self-esteem, quality of life, and even livelihood. However, being on dialysis or having had a kidney transplant can make traveling a little more challenging. But with adequate preparation and the help of others, it is possible and usually worth the effort.

Hemodialysis

Traveling while undergoing hemodialysis is usually the most restrictive and thus the most difficult to organize. It requires not only finding dialysis units at the desired locations but they must also be willing to accept transient patients and have available space at the times you want to go. Because of the scheduling and documentation requirements, it usually takes at least six to eight weeks to plan. Most dialysis units have a patient travel coordinator who can help.

Peritoneal Dialysis

Traveling while undergoing peritoneal dialysis is less restrictive because you don’t need to secure a spot in a dialysis unit, but it still requires some advanced planning. If you are traveling for any extended period of time, you are going to need your supplies, (particularly the fluid bags) to be shipped to your destination. Fortunately, most major dialysis suppliers can deliver to over 150 countries around the world. Other important considerations include shipping your equipment on the plane, train or bus as well, and having a kidney doctor be prepared to take care of you if you have an emergency. Again, the dialysis center's travel coordinator can usually help to make the necessary arrangements.

Kidney Transplantation

Traveling within the first three months of getting a kidney transplant is usually not advised. This is because there are often a lot of changes being made to the medications as well as a substantially higher risk of experiencing complications. As a result, except for extreme emergencies, the patient usually needs to stay close to his or her doctors and the transplant staff for the first three months. After that, there are relatively few restrictions when traveling, especially when compared to someone on dialysis.

Despite the increased freedom, there are still some serious concerns when traveling after a transplant. For example, because of the suppression of the immune system by the transplant drugs as well as the continued risk of rejection and other complications, it is usually advised that travel be limited to developed countries. If international travel is planned (typically after the first year), it is particularly important to talk to the doctor about the infection risks (i.e., food, water, insects, etc.) as well as available vaccinations and other preventative measures.