You have several options when it comes to treating kidney failure, including the type, frequency, and duration of your treatments.
Working with your doctor or healthcare team, you can determine the specific therapy and schedule that works best for you. Your options will be based on your health, lifestyle, and your commitment to your care.
It’s important to know your dialysis treatment options and make an informed decision.
Kidney transplantation involves placing a healthy kidney into the body, which comes from either a living or deceased donor. However, the waiting list for kidney transplants is increasing, and the median wait time is 2.6 years.1
Success rates for kidney transplants vary because transplants may fail if the body detects the new kidney as something foreign and the immune system works to reject it. If a kidney transplant is not successful, patients will need to go back on dialysis for treatment.
Haemodialysis involves accessing your blood through an access site. Most access sites are located in the lower arm but can also be located in the upper chest or leg. The dialysis procedure involves cleaning your blood through a special filter on a dialysis machine.
The main difference between home haemodialysis and in-centre haemodialysis is instead of having a nurse or doctor help you with your treatment, you perform your treatments with a care partner at home. Treatments can be performed during the day or overnight as you and your care partner sleep. A care partner is not a medical professional and can be a friend, spouse, colleague, or family member.
Many people who do haemodialysis at home perform their treatments more frequently, some even as often as seven days a week, for shorter periods of time.
Peritoneal dialysis is a home therapy that uses the lining of your own belly—the peritoneal membrane that covers your abdomen—to filter your blood of toxins and extra fluids. During treatment, you insert a sterile cleansing fluid into the membrane through permanently placed tubing. It’s a treatment you can do in almost any clean place and doesn’t require as many food or fluid restrictions as some of your other treatment options.
There are two types of peritoneal dialysis: continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) or automated peritoneal dialysis (APD). CAPD requires that you exchange fluid manually by pouring clean cleansing fluid into the permanent tube. The excess fluid containing wastes drains out through the same tube. You do this three to five times a day. Each exchange takes about a half hour. APD uses a machine to do the exchange while you sleep at night.
The most common form of dialysis, is known as in-centre or intermittent haemodialysis. This therapy option is performed three times a week, for approximately four hours per session, at either a dialysis centre or hospital.
Haemodialysis involves accessing your blood through an access site. Most access sites are located in the lower arm but can also be located in the upper chest or leg. The dialysis procedure involves cleaning your blood through a special filter on a dialysis machine. Your blood is removed through your access site, cleaned, and then returned to your body.
