Different Types of Kidney Dialysis

There are two types of kidney dialysis commonly performed by patients with kidney failure:

Hemodialysis

Hemodialysis is usually performed in the hemodialysis unit. The hemodialysis unit is a special room equipped with a machine that performs dialysis treatments. This special equipment has tools to purify water in a dialysis machine.

The dialysis unit is also a place where patients can receive counseling for the type of the right food and social environment needed to maintain their health.

Patients usually go to the dialysis unit three times a week for treatment. For example, the schedule is Monday, Wednesday, and Friday or Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Before treatment, the patient weighs the body so that the excess fluid that accumulates in the body before and after dialysis can be measured. The patient then goes to a chair that look like a lounge chair.

The area of ​​the graft or fistula (the relationship between arteries and veins), is thoroughly cleaned. Two needles are then inserted into the graft or fistula.

One needle takes blood from the body into the machine to be cleaned. Another needle is used to return the cleaned blood to the patient's body.

Hemodialysis treatment normally takes about 2½-4½ hours. During this time, employees in the dialysis unit check the patient's blood pressure frequently and adjust the dialysis machine to ensure the correct amount of fluid is secreted from the patient's body.

Patient can choose to read, watch television, sleep, or do other thing during the treatment. On occasion, highly motivated patients may be able to perform their own dialysis at home in a process called home hemodialysis.

Peritoneal dialysis

Peritoneal dialysis involves the patient to be more active in the treatment of dialysis. The primary patient's responsibility is to keep the abdominal surface and catheter clean, where therapy is given, to prevent infection.

In this process, the patient weighs himself to determine the fluid to be used. The patient then wears a mask and then cleans the peritoneal catheter. The liquid that has been allowed to stay in the peritoneal cavity is dried back into a plastic bag that initially contains a liquid.

The patient then disconnects this bag and connects a new bag of fluids that is allowed to flow into the peritoneal cavity. After the fluid enters the body, a new bag is rolled up and placed in the patient's clothing until the next treatment. This procedure usually takes 30 minutes and should be done 4-5 times a day.

As an alternative to this treatment, some peritoneal dialysis patients use a machine called a "cycler." The Cycler is used every night. Five to six dialysis fluid bags are used in the cycler and the cycler machine automatically changes the fluid during sleep.

Those are two types of kidney dialysis commonly kidney failure patients.

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