People pick home peritoneal dialysis to live the longest, healthiest life they can with the freedom to live the way they want.
Peritoneal dialysis treatment, or PD for short, begins with in-depth, private training by a knowledgeable and kind dialysis nurse in a home dialysis education center. Step by step, the nurse makes sure you understand the dialysis process and how to work your equipment. In about two to four weeks, most people feel comfortable giving themselves treatments at home by themselves.
Each month, PD supplies arrive at your home so you can perform your treatment on a schedule designed by you and your doctor.
Many people on PD have treatments at night, while they sleep. This means their days are free to work, attend school, or do whatever they want.
About once a month, you meet with your home dialysis care team – including your dialysis nurse, social worker, and dietitian. This is to make sure you’re as healthy as you can be. When you have a question, a dialysis nurse is ready to help you 24/7 by phone.
Learn more about home dialysis and find out why more than 95% of doctors and nurses would choose dialysis at home.
Needle-free dialysis through the abdomen
PD uses the lining in your abdomen (peritoneum) and a special solution (dialysate) to remove waste and extra fluid from the blood. Treatments are done at home during the day or at night.
A PD treatment is called an exchange. A special fluid flows into the abdomen, attracts toxins and extra fluid, and flows out of the abdomen, removing the toxins and fluids.
Through the process of osmosis and diffusion, toxins cross the semipermeable membrane from the blood into a special fluid placed into peritoneum (abdomen). These toxins are removed with the fluid as they flow out of the abdomen during a treatment exchange.
Everyone on PD learns how to give themselves manual PD. Most people also learn how to use a PD machine so they can have treatments at night while they sleep.
Treatments, called exchanges, are done by hand, usually 4 times a day. Each exchange takes 30-45 minutes. Manual PD is also called continuous ambulatory PD (CAPD)
Treatments, called exchanges, are done by a machine at night, while you sleep. Machine PD is also called continuous cycling PD (CCPD)
No matter where you are or what time it is, you can immediately reach a trained home dialysis nurse by phone anytime, day or night, every day of the year.
Most people need a few small changes to their home to ensure their treatment is safe and comfortable. In most cases, these tasks are fast, easy and affordable.
You are the most important person on your dialysis team. Standing by you are highly-trained and supportive health care experts ready to help you live a better life.
Meet the care team
I can live the life I want to. I can travel, I’ve been to Europe with my dialysis machine. Nothing stopped us.
Patrick
