What happens if the kidneys stop working?

Over 13 million people in the United States suffer from some kind of kidney disease. When the kidneys stop working, it does not filter blood. Without kidneys, chemicals will build up in your blood, and can be poisonous for you.

Dialysis is a treatment that does what the kidneys do. It doesn't cure kidney disease, but it helps the patient stay healthy. It removes waste and extra water from blood and prevents buildups. Dialysis also keeps the level of chemicals the right amount.

When a patient is treated through dialysis, blood is ejected through a tube into an artificial kidney machine. The machine takes in the blood, filters it, and flows it back into the circulatory system. It filters all of the patient's blood in about 4 hours.