Kidney Dialysis Procedure

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Kidney dialysis procedure is done on patients with permanent kidney failure which is called as renal failure. Kidneys are the vital organs in a human body which perform several functions. There are two kidneys in human body. They play a vital role in urinary system, electrolyte balance, acid base balance, and maintenance of blood pressure by balancing water and salt level. Kidneys act as a natural filtering system and eliminates waste through urinary bladder. Kidneys eliminate waste by urine production. In urine, body wastes such as ammonium and urea are excreted. They also help in reabsorption of water, amino acids, and glucose from the urine. These bean-shaped organs help in the secretion of essential hormones and enzymes such as erythropoietin, renin, and calcitriol. After the absorption of nutrients from the body, wastes are sent to blood. If the kidneys do not work properly, then these wastes become harmful to health. Kidney dialysis called renal dialysis is often done with the measurement of glomerular filtration rate. Glomerular filtration rate is the estimation of amount of blood passed through glomeruli per minute. This test determines the efficiency of the kidneys. If the glomerular filtration rate is poor, then renal dialysis is recommended. Kidney failure occurs due to the kidneys' loss of filtering capacity due to renal diseases. Nephrons are the part mostly affected in the kidney. Kidney failure may occur due to diabetic kidney disease, hypertension, glomerular disease, congenital kidney disease such as polycystic kidney disease, poison, or trauma. The speed in which the kidney fails depends on acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, and end-stage renal disease. When the kidneys stop working, it results in a disease condition called uremia due to the accumulation of urea in blood.

There are two types of dialysis treatment for kidney failure. They are peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis. In hemodialysis procedure, a dialyzer which acts as a special filter is used. This dialyzer cleans the blood and functions similar to a kidney. The dialyzer and hemodialysis machine are connected. In this procedure, the blood that contains waste starts traveling through the tube and enters the dialyzer which eliminates the wastes and unwanted products. After this elimination, the blood which is cleaned enters the body through the other set of tubes provided. This machine helps in monitoring the blood flow and removal of waste from the dialyzer. This procedure is generally performed three times a week for approximately 3 hours. Recent studies have shown that nocturnal dialysis is the best dialysis treatment. In peritoneal dialysis procedure, a dialysis solution is injected into the abdomen. This dialysis solution eliminates the waste products from the blood. When this solution is saturated with waste products, it is drained off with the help of a catheter. This process is repeated until all the waste products are eliminated from the body. This procedure can be done at home by the patients themselves. Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis are the two forms of peritoneal dialysis available. Even though dialysis is a life saver, it has some side effects depending on the condition of the disease and fluid and dietary restrictions. Side effects can be effectively managed with the maintenance of a proper fluid and diet intake as per physician's recommendations.