What is a Dialysis Machine?

What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a treatment for people with kidney failure. If you have kidney failure, your kidneys don't filter your blood properly. As a result, waste and toxins accumulate in the blood. Dialysis performs the kidney's function of removing waste and excess water from the blood.

Who needs dialysis? 

People with kidney failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD) may need dialysis. Injuries and conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and lupus can damage the kidneys, leading to kidney disease. Some people develop kidney problems for no apparent reason. Kidney failure can be a long-standing condition, or it can come on suddenly (acute) after a serious illness or injury. This type of kidney failure may disappear with recovery.

Kidney disease has five stages. In stage 5 kidney disease, your healthcare provider thinks you have end-stage kidney disease (ESRD), or kidney failure. At this time, the kidneys perform about 10 to 15% of their normal function. You may need dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive. Some people receive dialysis while they wait for a transplant. 

What does the kidney do?
Your kidneys are part of the urinary tract. These two bean-shaped organs are located under the rib cage on either side of the spine. They remove toxins from the blood and return filtered, nutrient-rich blood back into the bloodstream. Waste products and extra water make urine from the kidneys to the bladder. The kidneys also help control blood pressure. 

What types of dialysis do you have?
There are two ways to do dialysis.

Hemodialysis. peritoneal dialysis.
What is hemodialysis?

 During hemodialysis, a machine removes blood from the body, filters it through a dialyzer (artificial kidney), and returns the purified blood to the body. This 3-5 hour course can be done three times a week in a hospital or dialysis center. Hemodialysis can be done at home. Home treatment may require less time per session, 4-7 times per week. You can choose hemodialysis at night while you sleep.

What happens before hemodialysis? 

Before starting hemodialysis, you will undergo minor surgery to facilitate access to the circulation. You could have:

Arteriovenous fistula (AV fistula): A surgeon connects an artery and a vein in your arm. Arteriovenous graft (AV graft): If an artery and vein are too short to connect, doctors use a graft (a soft tubular tube) to connect the artery and vein.
AV fistulas and grafts dilate the connected arteries and veins, making dialysis accessible. They also help blood flow through the body quickly.

If dialysis is needed quickly, doctors may provide temporary access by inserting a catheter (a thin tube) into a vein in the neck, chest, or leg. Your healthcare provider will tell you how to prevent infection in the fistula or graft. This provider will also show you how to perform hemodialysis at home if you wish.

 Are there activity restrictions during dialysis?
Many dialysis patients continue to lead active lives, work, raise families, and travel. When traveling, educators will help organize new places in the center. If you create two types of dialysis, you can accept daily donations and dialysis (if necessary) from a portable house. People on peritoneal dialysis may need to limit exercise or certain physical activities as the abdomen fills with dialysis solution. Otherwise, exercise is generally acceptable for dialysis patients. You should ask your service provider to participate in a specific activity or sport.