Data on the occurrence and determinants of the recovery of renal function (RRF) in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) treated with renal replacement therapy (RRT) are scarce. Reports from large observational studies and renal registries in other parts of the world describe that RRF occurred in 1.0 to 6.7%. RRF most often occurred within the first 90 days after the onset of RRT in patients with a large variety in underlying primary renal disease.

In the proposed study, we aim to assess the incidence of RRF, as well as demographic and clinical characteristics associated with RRF within and after 90 days of treatment with dialysis in a large cohort of European patients who started dialysis between 1996 and 2015. In addition, we will study geographic variation and trends over time in the abovementioned parameters.

Identification of the incidence rate of RRF and the clinical circumstances under which this is more likely to occur, could help both clinicians and patients to be more vigilant with respect to this phenomenon, to reduce and discontinue dialysis treatment accordingly and to postpone renal transplantation, if applicable.