26^thEuropean Nephrology Conference

Dialysis

If you have kidney failure and cannot have a kidney transplant, dialysis can sustain lifetime

Dialysis is an artificial technique of filtering the blood. It is used when somebody’s kidneys have failed or are close to deteriorating. Many people with late-stage kidney disease must go on dialysis enduringly or until a donor kidney is found.

There are two types of dialysis: Hemodialysis and Peritoneal dialysis.

Hemodialysis

In hemodialysis, the blood is pumped through a distinctive machine that filters out waste products and fluid. You can perform the hemodialysis event at your home. Most people have three sittings per week, with each sitting lasting three to five hours. However, hemodialysis can also be done in petite, more common sessions.

The common side effects of hemodialysis are low blood pressure, muscle cramping, and itching.

Peritoneal dialysis

In peritoneal dialysis, the peritoneum stands in for the kidneys. A tube is embedded and used to fill the abdomen with a fluid called dialysate. Waste products are in the blood flow from the peritoneum into the dialysate. The dialysate is then drained from the abdomen.

There are two methods of peritoneal dialysis: Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, where the abdomen is filled and drained several times during the day and Continuous cycler-assisted peritoneal dialysis, which uses a mechanism to cycle the fluid in and out of the abdomen at night while the person sleeps.

The most common side effects of peritoneal dialysis are contagions in the abdominal cavity or in the area where the tube was embedded. Supplementary side effects may include weight gain and hernias.