Dialysis
Dialysis is performed when your kidneys fail and can no longer remove waste from your blood. It is most frequently used for patients who have kidney failure, but may also be used to quickly remove drugs or poisons in certain situations.
The physicians at Associates In Nephrology offer dialysis services in several clinics and hospitals throughout the Chicago and metropolitan area and we pride ourselves in assisting all patients with any concerns they may have in order to assure that all treatments are comfortable and informative.
There are two types of dialysis available, peritoneal and hemodialysis, and we will assist you in determining which form of dialysis treatment is most appropriate for your condition as well as discuss all possibilities and procedures that are available to you.
The first type of dialysis, Peritoneal Dialysis, is performed inside the body using a membrane inside the abdomen, called the Peritoneum. Dialysis fluids that clean and filter the blood are injected into the Peritoneum area through a thin tube called a catheter and then drained out again. This form of dialysis can be performed at home, but must be done on a continuous, everyday basis.
Hemodialysis, the second type of dialysis, is a form of dialysis that removes waste products from the blood by passing the blood out of the body, through an external, artificial filtering system which cleans it and then returns it to the body. The blood is removed and returned to the body through an access site which is created by either the insertion of a catheter or a surgical procedure is done in which an artery is joined directly to a vein. While in the external filtering system, called a dialyzer, the blood flows through an artificial membrane that separates the waste out of it.
The physicians with Associates In Nephrology have immense expertise performing dialysis in the treatment of both acute renal failure and chronic kidney disease.
