 Hello, I am Dr. Sundar, Head of International Transplant Services, Consultant Nephrologist at the Manipal Hospital in Bangalore. Kidney failure can be mild, moderate or severe. Olden days we had three stages, mild kidney failure, chronic kidney failure, moderate chronic kidney failure and severe chronic kidney failure. Now chronic kidney failure is termed as chronic kidney disease and it is divided into five stages. Stage one is the starting stage and stage five is a stage where it is called as end stage renal disease or ESRD where treatment is either by dialysis or transplant and if the two are not done the patient can die.