Dialysis: When Your Kidneys Fail

We can't live without our kidneys functioning. When one's kidneys fail, they either live on dialysis or they die. There are different kinds of dialysis, but they all serve the same purpose. In general dialysis cleans the blood of waste products that are harmful to the body. Normally, in a healthy body, the kidneys remove all the wastes and impurities, but when the kidneys can't function, toxins will accumulate in the blood. Without dialysis the patient will die. For this article, I would like to talk a little about the two most used types of dialysis treatment.

Peritoneal Dialysis

Peritoneal dialysis (PD)is becoming evermore popular with some people because they don't have to sit many hours in a clinic two to three times a week. Initially, before you have peritoneal dialysis the kidney doctor will insert a permanent shunt into your abdomen. Your doctor or the nurse will show you how to dialyze yourself. Once you get the hang of it is quite easy to do. You can dialyze yourself at home or at work; and for this reason this method is very versatile.

With peritoneal dialysis, you will insert a catheter into the shunt-like connection that was surgically implanted into your abdomen. You will then connect a Y-shaped tubing to that. One end connects to the dialysis solution (that hangs on a pole) and the other connects to a collection bag on the floor. A dialysis solution containing a sugar solution made of dextrose that acts as a pump to pull the extra water and impurities from the body. After approximately 40 minutes you can unclamp the tubing and let the fluid drain through the lower tubing that collects into a bag on the floor. You may have to repeat this procedure 3 more times in a day. It is typically done every 4 to 6 hours.

Peritoneal dialysis has its advantages and disadvantages. It is versatile, in that you can do it just about anywhere, but you have to be diligent and not forget to dialyze yourself, because you could become toxic with waste products in your blood.

Hemodialysis