Hello. I am sorry to hear about your husband s condition. If the swelling in your husband s leg is only on one side, I would recommend getting a venous duplex ultrasound to check for a blood clot in the deep veins of the leg. If present, these clots can break off and travel to the lungs, causing respiratory difficulty and possibly death. If the swelling is on both legs, it is possible that he could be fluid overloaded, causing congestive heart failure. There may be ways to adjust his dialysis procedures or frequency in order to remove more fluid. It may also be worthwhile to check his liver function to be sure his kidney failure is not causing liver failure as well. These possible causes of the swelling should be investigated before assuming it is due to an orthopedic cause. If it is due to an orthopedic injury, further evaluation of the hip on the affected side would be advisable. Preferably, with a Cat-Scan of the hip to evaluate for a fracture.