Peritoneal dialysis

Peritoneal Dialysis Hospital in Ludhiana, Punjab

Peritoneal dialysis

Before dialysis was available total kidney failure meant death. Today people with kidney failure can live because of treatments like dialysis and kidney transplant.

Dialysis is the way of cleaning the blood when the kidneys can no longer do the job. Dialysis helps to get rid of body waste, extra salt and helps to control the blood pressure. There are 2 kinds of dialysis.

• In hemodialysis, blood is pumped out of the body to an artificial machine and returned to the body by tubes that get connected to the machine.
• In peritoneal dialysis, the natural filler works the inside of the belly. Waste from the body is taken out with the help of cleaning fluid which is called the dialysate and it is washed from the belly in cycles.

What is the working of peritoneal dialysis?

With peritoneal dialysis, a soft plastic tube is placed in the belly. Through the catheter, sterile cleansing fluid is out into the belly. Once the filtering process is completed, the fluid will be taken out from the body with the help of a catheter.

What are the types of peritoneal dialysis?

• Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD)
• Automated Peritoneal Dialysis (APD)

Treatment for both of them is the same. The difference occurs in the way treatment is done and the method of doing the treatment.

• CAPD is “continuous,” machine-free, and done during normal activities such as work or school. The treatment is done by placing 2 quarts of cleansing fluids in the belly and later draining them. To do this, a plastic bag is hooked into the belly to take out the cleansing fluid. Once the bag is empty, the plastic bag will be removed and thrown away.

Once dialysis is done, the fluid is taken away from the belly and thrown away and this is done 3, 4, or 5 times in the time of one day and during normal activities, you will stay awake. The entire process takes 30 to 40 minutes.

• APD differs from CAPD in that a machine delivers and takes away the cleansing fluid for you. The treatment is done at night during your sleep.