Hemodialysis
Hemodialysis is a process in which blood is drawn from the patient, cleaned in a dialysis machine, and returned to the body. It removes toxic substances that the kidneys can no longer clear because of kidney failure.
Blood taken through a fistula or catheter passes through filters called dialyzers in the dialysis machine. Toxic substances that need to be removed from the body pass into dialysis fluid on the other side of the filter and are thereby cleared from the blood.
After filtration, the blood's fluid and solute composition is balanced and the blood is returned through vascular access. The physician decides how many dialysis sessions are needed each week and how long they should last according to the patient's physiological needs.
Peritoneal Dialysis
The patient's own peritoneal membrane, which lines the abdominal cavity, can also serve as a filter for removing harmful waste products from the blood. This method is called peritoneal dialysis, or abdominal dialysis.
For peritoneal dialysis, a tube is placed in the abdominal cavity. Sterile dialysis fluid from a specially prepared bag is delivered into the abdomen through this tube, known as a peritoneal catheter. Because the catheter is small, its presence generally causes little discomfort.
While the dialysis fluid remains in the abdomen, harmful substances are filtered from the blood across the peritoneal membrane and pass into the fluid. After a period of time, the used fluid is drained from the body through the same catheter, removing some of the harmful substances from the blood.
Further
Kidney Transplantation
In its simplest terms, kidney transplantation is the placement of a healthy kidney obtained from a living or deceased donor into a person whose own kidneys can no longer carry out their functions. This treatment may allow the patient to return to a healthier life.