According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), around 468,00 Americans are on dialysis. There are two types of dialysis treatments: peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis. Hemodialysis is the most common type of dialysis. What is hemodialysis and how does it work?
What is Hemodialysis?
Hemodialysis is a treatment given to people with kidney disease. It is commonly used to treat people with chronic kidney disease or renal failure but may be used for acute kidney conditions. When your kidneys are healthy, they filter waste and water out of your blood. You then get rid of the waste and excess water through urination. When your kidneys are not functioning correctly, then that waste and water build up in your blood. Hemodialysis is a treatment that mimics what healthy kidneys do and uses an external machine to filter the blood.
Hemodialysis can help people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) feel better and live longer than if they would without any treatment. However, it is not a cure for CKD and treatments will need to continue for the rest of the patient’s life unless they get a kidney transplant.
There is another type of dialysis treatment called peritoneal dialysis. Peritoneal dialysis does not use an artificial kidney machine to filter blood. Instead, the blood is filtered through the lining of the patient’s own belly using a catheter. However, for this blog, we’re focusing on hemodialysis and answering the question, “what is hemodialysis?”
How Does Hemodialysis Work?
At the beginning of the treatment, you will have two needles placed in your arm; one will take the blood out and one will put it back in.
Hemodialysis patients need to have minor surgery to receive an entrance called a vascular access in their arm for the needles to access the arteries. The access allows the blood to flow through soft tubes into the dialysis machine.
This machine is called a dialyzer or an artificial kidney. The dialyzer pumps blood through a filter and returns the blood to the body. The filter works by passing the blood through many very thin hollow fibers. A dialysis solution passes in the opposite direction on the outside of the fibers and picks up the excess water, salt, and waste products in the blood. The clean blood remains in the filter’s fibers to be returned to your body through more soft tubing.
Where and When is Hemodialysis Treatment Done?
Hemodialysis can be done at a dialysis center or in a patient’s home.
Dialysis Centers
At dialysis centers, you will make appointments to have the treatment done three times a week. Treatment at a dialysis center usually takes about 4 hours. Care team members are there to monitor the entire treatment, which is necessary for some patients.
Home Hemodialysis
The other option for dialysis is home hemodialysis. Patients who get hemodialysis at home can tailor their treatment times to fit in with their schedules and routines. Many patients also feel more comfortable getting treatment at home than they do at a dialysis center. However, not all people are good candidates for home hemodialysis.
If you and your doctor decide that home hemodialysis is right for you, you will need to be trained on how to give yourself treatment. This process may take several weeks or months. If you have a family member who is going to assist you as a care partner, they need to complete training as well.
Conventional Home Hemodialysis
Conventional home hemodialysis is done three times a week for three to four hours each time.
Daily Home Hemodialysis
Some patients can have shorter dialysis treatments more frequently. Treatments last around two hours and are done 5 to 7 times a week.
Nocturnal Hemodialysis
Nocturnal home hemodialysis is done while you sleep. The treatments are longer and slower than the other types of hemodialysis, lasting between 6 and 8 hours. Some people need nocturnal hemodialysis up to six nights a week while others only need to do it every other night.
Combination
Patients may also choose to do a combination of daily and nocturnal home hemodialysis. Determining factors for the best type of home hemodialysis for a patient include the specifics of the patient’s condition, their needs, and the equipment that is available to them.
Who Gives Hemodialysis Treatment?
Who gives hemodialysis treatment depends on where the dialysis is done. Patients who do home hemodialysis are responsible for giving themselves treatment. If you go to a dialysis center for treatment, a nurse or technician will perform it.
Durham Nephrology Associates treats patients at six dialysis centers throughout Durham and Granville counties and can help patients determine if they are candidates for home treatment. If you need more answers to the question “what is hemodialysis?” call us at 919-477-3005 to make an appointment. You can also request an appointment online.
