On letting go: the patient, haemodialysis and opting out

The title of this article refers not only to the patient who decides to let go of life, the quality of which on dialysis is such that death is preferable, but also to the family and the renal unit staff who have to let go of the patient who makes this decision. One such case is described in detail since the problem is not one restricted to the treatment of end-stage renal failure alone, but occurs more and more frequently in other branches of medicine and surgery.