Dialysis

• Dialysis is a medical process used to artificially perform the function of kidneys in removing waste and excess water from the blood.

• There are two types of dialysis: Haemodialysis and Peritoneal dialysis.

• Haemodialysis is the most common type of dialysis. In this process, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine and returned to your body by tubes that connect you to the machine.

• During haemodialysis, the artificial kidney (dialyser) has two parts: one for the blood and one for a washing fluid called dialysate. A thin membrane separates these two parts. Blood cells, protein and other important things remain in the blood because they are too big to pass through the membrane, but smaller waste products in the blood, such as urea, creatinine and extra fluid pass through the membrane and are washed away.

• Peritoneal Dialysis uses the internal lining of the abdomen as a natural philtre. A special fluid is injected into the peritoneal cavity and wastes and excess water move from the blood into the fluid. The fluid is later drained out.

• Dialysis is needed when the kidneys cannot sufficiently clean the blood themselves. This could be due to chronic kidney diseases or kidney failure.

• The procedure is not a cure for kidney diseases, it is merely a treatment that replaces some functions of the kidneys.

• Dialysis remains a stopgap until the patient can receive a kidney transplant or if a transplant isn’t possible.

• The frequency of dialysis treatments differs from patient to patient but typically may be three times per week for haemodialysis and daily for peritoneal dialysis.

• While dialysis is life-saving, it can lead to multiple complications like low blood pressure, anaemia, bone diseases, high blood pressure and it requires a permanent lifestyle change.

• Regular testing is required to ensure that dialysis is helping to keep levels of waste products and chemicals in the patient’s body balanced.

• Learning the workings of dialysis aids in understanding the importance of the kidney’s role in homeostasis - the body’s internal balanced state.