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Dialysis

 

Dialysis is a treatment for End-Stage Renal disease (ESRD) or kidney failure. When your kidneys fail to function properly, your body can no longer filter blood the way it should. Dialysis filters and purifies the blood using a special machine to eradicate wastes build up in your body. Kidney dialysis takes on your kidneys’ job, removing excess fluid and waste products from your body.

What Are Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis?

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Hemodialysis 

 

Hemodialysis is the most common type of dialysis. It cleanses the blood by circulating it through an artificial kidney (dialyzer filter) and then returns the cleaned blood to your body. 

 

Peritoneal dialysis

 

Peritoneal dialysis involves cleaning the blood inside your body.  Your dialysis doctor will start with performing surgery to place a catheter (a plastic tube) into your abdomen. Then, they will slowly fill the peritoneal cavity (abdominal area) with a weak solution called dialysate through the catheter. Wastes and extra fluid are then pulled out of the blood into the dialysate. Finally, the solution with wastes is drained from your abdomen, leaving only clean fluid behind.

Home Dialysis

 

Home hemodialysis usually requires three, four-hour sessions each week or nightly sessions that last about 6 to 8 hours while the dialysis patient sleeps. Nocturnal dialysis at home has proven safe and effective for people of all ages, including children as young as six years old.

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) can be done at home or while traveling. You will need to have access to running water and a place to store used supplies safely until you can properly dispose of them. Some people do peritoneal dialysis at home round the clock; others do it only during daytime hours when they are awake to monitor the process and watch for any problems that might occur.

Our Process

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For hemodialysis, our doctors place a needle in your arm, which is attached to a tube. Blood is passed along the tube and then further onto an external machine, which filters it before passing it back into your arm through another tube.   This dialysis treatment procedure is carried out three days a week at our kidney dialysis center. Each session lasts about 4 hours.

For peritoneal dialysis, our nephrology associates in Delaware make an incision near your belly button. They then insert a thin tube called a catheter into the peritoneal cavity through the incision. This setup is left in that place permanently. Fluid is then pumped through the catheter into the cavity. As the blood vessels that line the peritoneal cavity make way for the blood to pass through, excess fluid and waste products get drawn into the dialysis solution from the blood. After a few hours, our kidney care consultants drain out the used fluid and replace it with fresh fluid. The process of changing the fluid is repeated almost four times a day and takes around 30-40 minutes.

We affiliate with certified dialysis centers and refer you to licensed, trained nurses and dialysis staff, including social workers (LCSW) and dialysis-registered dieticians. We guide you through insurance, medication, and transportation needs and help you maintain a specific diet tailored to your needs. 

Find the dialysis treatment that works best for you at Nephrology Consultants, P.A. We are present in various locations in Delaware.