The human body produces toxic substances every day. In a healthy person, the kidneys filter these toxins out of the body. This is a vital function, because otherwise the waste products (uric acid and creatinine) would gradually poison the person. Patients whose kidneys no longer function and who suffer from chronic or acute kidney disease require dialysis.
Here you’ll find more information and specialists.
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a vital treatment method for patients whose kidneys no longer function properly. Dialysis is better known as “blood cleansing.”
Dialysis removes toxic substances from the blood that become dangerous to the body once they reach a certain concentration. This treatment is very complex. For this reason, it is performed at specialized dialysis centers. Home dialysis is also an option.
There are three main types of dialysis:
- Hemodialysis
- Hemofiltration
- Peritoneal dialysis
The three procedures are similar in their basic process: The dialyzer filters the blood that has been drawn from the body. The filtered blood is then returned to the body.
Which method is ultimately used depends on the patient’s symptoms.
When is dialysis necessary?
If a patient suffers from chronic or acute kidney failure, dialysis is a life-sustaining measure.
Without healthy kidneys, the body would gradually poison itself. Dialysis is also a life-sustaining treatment for patients awaiting a donor kidney and kidney transplant.
Dialysis is not only used for patients with damaged kidneys. Its filtering properties are also helpful in cases of poisoning (from medications). Here, too, dialysis is life-saving.
Conditions that require dialysis:
- Kidney failure
- Chronic kidney failure
- Symptoms of poisoning
How does dialysis work?
Before dialysis, a series of comprehensive tests must be performed:
- Blood pressure measurement
- Assessment of vascular health using duplex ultrasound
- Placement of a dialysis shunt
The dialysis shunt is a surgical procedure that should be performed about six to eight weeks in advance. The shunt is a connection between an artery and a vein. This is necessary because a vein would not be able to withstand repeated punctures several times a week.
Doctors can place the dialysis shunt in many locations. However, they usually place it in the forearm area.
During dialysis itself, the patient sits at the dialysis machine. Blood is drawn from the body, cleaned and filtered through a dialyzer, and then returned to the body.
As a rule, no more than 600 milliliters of blood are dialyzed per hour. The duration of a dialysis session varies. On average, patients undergo three sessions per week, each lasting four to eight hours.
However, continuous hemodialysis is now also available, allowing for daily blood purification sessions of about two hours.
By User:YassineMrabet, User:Cjesch - Hemodialysis-en.svg, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21928753
What risks and side effects can occur?
Like so many treatment methods, dialysis can also cause discomfort:
- For example, muscle cramps may occur. The reason: Minerals are removed from the body during the blood cleansing process. A deficiency—such as in magnesium—can manifest as cramps.
- Since dialysis places a heavy strain on the body, blood pressure may drop during treatment.
- Headaches, nausea, and vomiting are also possible side effects, though they do not necessarily occur.
What role does nutrition play?
Diet plays a very important role for a dialysis patient. It is important to tailor dietary plans to the patient’s individual health status. A dialysis team creates dietary plans for the patient. These plans may change from time to time.