Hemodialysis
Treatment Overview
Chronic kidney disease, Opens dialog and acute kidney injury, Opens dialog (also known as acute renal failure) cause the kidneys to lose their ability to filter and remove waste and extra fluid from the body. Hemodialysis, Opens dialog is a process that uses a man-made membrane (dialyzer) to:
- Remove wastes, such as urea, Opens dialog, from the blood.
- Restore the proper balance of electrolytes, Opens dialog in the blood.
- Get rid of extra fluid from the body.
Hemodialysis for acute kidney injury may be done daily until your kidneys are working again.
You are connected to a filter (dialyzer) by tubes attached to your blood vessels. Your blood is slowly pumped from your body into the dialyzer, where waste products and extra fluid are removed. The filtered blood is then pumped back into your body.
There are different types of hemodialysis. It can be done in a hospital or center or at home. If it's at home, you do the dialysis yourself, often with the help of a friend or family member. You have choices for how long and how often you do it. You can also do it overnight. Talk about these with your doctor to decide which one might be best for you.
Access
Before treatments can start, your doctor will need to create a site where the blood can flow in and out of your body during the dialysis sessions. This is called the dialysis access, Opens dialog. The type of dialysis access you have will depend in part on how quickly you need to start dialysis.
There are different types of access for hemodialysis:
- A fistula connects an artery to a vein, Opens dialog in your arm. It may take several months to form.
- A graft is a small tube that connects the artery and vein. It doesn't last as long as a fistula.
- A venous catheter is a tube placed in your neck or chest. It's used for a short time only.
Things to consider
- Hemodialysis is done mainly by trained health workers. They can watch for problems.
- You can do it at a center where other people are doing dialysis. This can help provide emotional support.
- You can schedule your treatments in the evenings and maybe at home. This gives you more control over your schedule.
- It usually needs to be done on a set schedule at least 3 times a week.
- It can cause side effects, such as low blood pressure and muscle cramps. These can often be treated easily.
- It requires being poked by a needle at each treatment. This bothers some people. Others get used to it and can do it themselves.
Current as of: October 11, 2024
Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff
Clinical Review Board
All Ignite Healthwise, LLC education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.
