Dialysis is a procedure to remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood when the kidneys stop working properly. It often involves diverting blood to a machine to be cleaned.
What does dialysis do?
When your kidneys fail, dialysis keeps your body in balance by:
removing waste, salt and extra water to prevent them from building up in the body
keeping a safe level of certain chemicals in your blood, such as potassium, sodium and bicarbonate
helping to control blood pressure
Hemodialysis is a commonly utilized form of kidney dialysis. It employs a dialyzer machine to purify the blood by eliminating waste substances and excess fluids. The blood is extracted from the patient’s body, passed through the dialyzer for cleansing, and then returned. Typically, hemodialysis sessions are conducted thrice weekly at dedicated medical facilities. Vascular access, established through an arteriovenous fistula or catheter, is necessary for the procedure. The duration and frequency of treatments are customized based on individual requirements. Qualified healthcare professionals, such as nephrologists and dialysis nurses, supervise hemodialysis in specialized centers or hospitals.
