Dialysis while on vacation

What does vacation on dialysis mean?

Dialysis or blood washing to treat chronic kidney failure has to be carried out regularly in intervals of around two to three days, as otherwise metabolic end products would accumulate in the blood and have toxic effects on the own organism. To avoid a fatal accumulation of such substances that are normally excreted with the urine, patients with kidney insufficiency must undergo blood filtration so that toxic substances can be removed using an extensive set of equipment. This is typically carried out in highly specialized centers, that focus on the therapy of dialysis patients.

Some clinics and medical institutions offer patients dialysis on vacation, ensuring appropriate dialysis therapy also when travelling. After scheduling an appointment, patients travelling for business or private or can make use of dialysis while on vacation.

Can dialysis patients travel at all?

It’s a legitimate question, whether dialysis patients must restrict their travels to two to three days in order to be on time for their blood washing in their respective dialysis center. In order for patients to enjoy a greater level of freedom, many nephrologists in the whole world offer dialysis not only to their regular patients, but rather accept also patients that stop by while being on vacation. This enables patients who require regular dialysis to stay on holidays for a longer period of time. This is of particular importance for dialysis patients suffering from chronic kidney disease as it helps them cope better with everyday life.

How much does it cost to undergo dialysis while on vacation?

There is a significant cost difference depending on where you travel. Normally, one sitting costs about 250-500 Euros. Also the respective exchange rate can influence the cost. Additional medications may be billed separately, too.

Who offers dialysis while on vacation?

Dialysis is offered in any destination worth travelling to around the whole world, including cruise ships. However, as dialysis centers may have reached their full capacity, not all of them offer short-term bookings for patients on vacation. On the other hand, many nephrologists are happy offer this service to travelling patients, as it helps them to reach a fully utilized capacity of their dialysis devices. Patients are able to find the right offers on this website, at the respective organizations or directly on the websites of dialysis centers.

Dialysis on vacation in Switzerland

As central Europe’s country with the highest medical standards, Switzerland serves as a particularly good example. Located all around the picturesque lakes, patients can find large cities with the necessary infrastructure for patients with chronic diseases. Especially the beautiful region around Lake Zurich, known internationally as the most livable metropole region, is welcoming you to stay a while for taking in its lovely landscape. Holidays in the foothills of the Alps are possible without concerns also for patients with chronic kidney insufficiency due to the excellent health care offered here.

What needs to be considered when undergoing dialysis abroad?

Generally, dialysis patients are allowed to travel to any country in the world. However, to go on holidays, patients must make arrangements in advance. First of all, they must locate an appropriate dialysis center that has sufficient capacities to guarantee all necessary dialysis sessions during the entire stay, which is needed to prevent severe complications far from home.

Also, the treating nephrologist should receive all important reports and patient-specific features in advance. Also, all the transfers from the accommodation to the dialysis centers have to be planned or booked.

It is not recommended to travel to countries with low medical standards in order to protect patients from medical errors as well as infections. Also the language barrier should at least be considered when undergoing dialysis on vacation, as it may carry an unnecessary risk.

Dialysis while travelling: pros and cons

Naturally, chronic kidney insufficiency restricts the quality of life in many ways. So also dialysis while on vacation is associated with a variety of imponderabilities, costs and risks. But if patients are able to accept this calculable factor of uncertainty in advance, luckily their wanderlust will not be stunted due to modern medicine.

If you're in need of a doctor, you expect the best medical care possible. So of course patients are curious to find out what clinic to go to. As there is no objective way to answer this question and a legitimate doctor would never claim to be the best, patients must rely on a doctor's experience.

Let us help you find an expert for your condition. All listed doctors and clinics have been reviewed by us for their outstanding specialization in the field of dialysis on vacation and are looking forward to your inquiry or wish for treatment.