Dialysis machines see rise in use in South Korea

The pandemic has heightened the necessity of its use for people with renal diseases.

South Korea’s renal dialysis market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.5% between 2020 and 2025, driven by the rising use of hemodialysis machines and peritoneal dialysis (PD) for the treatment of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), according to a GlobalData report.

Hemodialysis machines accounted for more than 90% of the South Korean renal dialysis market last year

GlobalData’s medical devices analyst Anusha Kaushik noted that a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases during the onset of the pandemic caused an impact on people suffering from ESRD as they require regular dialysis care to survive.

“During the pandemic, patients had access to dialysis centers and home-based equipment for continuous treatment. This has kept the demand afloat for renal dialysis equipment,” Kaushik said.

Patients with renal disease have weakened immune systems and require continuous care as they are more susceptible to the virus. A rise in the aging population, high prevalence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and vascular diseases are leading to the growth of ESRD.

“The use of hemodialysis machines is high in South Korea. However, the growing demand for home-based care, increasing awareness of peritoneal dialysis, and relatively high cost of hemodialysis at dialysis centers are expected to lead to the higher adoption rate of peritoneal dialysis in the future,” Kaushik added.