Dialysis is a long-practiced and well-respected treatment for acute or chronic kidney failure. Performed at a specialty clinic or at the home, dialysis helps people control their blood pressure, regulate important electrolyte levels, and remove waste and toxins from their systems. It is quite literally a lifesaver for people who have kidneys that don’t function properly.
Below are answers to the most frequently asked questions about dialysis.
What Is Dialysis?
Dialysis is a medical treatment used by people whose kidneys no longer perform their waste-filtering functions and cannot regulate blood pressure and electrolyte levels (sodium, potassium, and bicarbonate) as they once did. Many people who need dialysis are waiting for a kidney transplant because they are in end-stage renal failure. Others may have acute or chronic renal failure due to long-standing diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and problems in the urinary tract. People of all ages may need dialysis, including children.
Dialysis can be accomplished at home, a hospital, or a free-standing renal clinic or center. Hemodialysis happens in a hospital or renal center. It involves blood being cleansed through the use of special solutions delivered through a surgically-created fistula (combination of an artery and vein), plastic graft, or catheter. Peritoneal dialysis can be done at home via a tube or catheter. This option is portable and can be done while traveling or at work or school, too.
Does Dialysis Take a Lot of Time?
For many patients, dialysis does involve a significant time commitment. For instance, an individual who goes to a hospital or renal clinic to receive hemodialysis may have to spend four hours three or four times weekly for treatment. Even people with peritoneal dialysis, which tends to be more convenient and portable, must do their treatments several times a day. Either way, dialysis helps patients dramatically improve their overall health and function.
Can I Still Work if I am a Dialysis Patient?
Many dialysis patients lead very full lives and learn to accommodate the time and attention required to complete dialysis. Many returns to their usual jobs, unless those occupations involve hard physical labor.
Does My Diet Need to Change While I am on Dialysis?
Most patients who need dialysis require a restriction on liquid intake in their diet. Not following this limitation can make you very bloated between dialysis appointments. Your doctor will guide you on how much liquid to drink on an average day and will give you tips on how to track your intake.
Will Dialysis Cure My Renal Failure?
No form of dialysis can cure renal failure. Some people use it while they await a donor kidney for a transplant. Others maintain their health by using dialysis to overcome an acute episode of kidney failure or for the long term in the case of chronic disease.
Will Dialysis Shorten My Lifespan?
No! In fact, dialysis should lengthen your life, because it replaces the vital functions your kidneys are failing to perform. Many people live for many, many years – even a normal life expectancy – while on dialysis.
How Can I Learn More About Dialysis?
At Carrus Health, our highly trained primary and specialty care teams provide a wide range of services to manage acute and chronic illnesses of all kinds and complexities, including kidney failure. To learn more about dialysis and how it could help you live a healthier life, call us for a consultation at (903) 870-2600. We have eight locations serving the Texoma area and southern Oklahoma, and we would be honored to serve you.
