Outpatient Dialysis in King City
What Does Dialysis Do?
When your kidneys fail, they are no longer able to remove waste from your body or regulate nutrients. Dialysis essentially does the job of your kidneys for them. Dialysis is a treatment that does some of the things done by healthy kidneys. It is needed when your own kidneys can no longer take care of your body’s needs. Dialysis is required when a patient develops end-stage kidney failure.
Like healthy kidneys, dialysis keeps your body in balance. Dialysis removes toxins, and extra water to prevent them from building up in the body. It also keeps a safe level of certain chemicals in your blood, such as potassium, sodium, and bicarbonate.
Types of Dialysis
There are two different types of dialysis:
- Peritoneal dialysis: A fluid called dialysate is pumped into your body that absorbs waste in the blood. The waste-filled dialysate is then drained out of the body.
- Hemodialysis: A dialysis machine is connected to your body. The blood is then cleaned in the machine and returned to your body.
What Does Dialysis Look Like?
Dialysis treatments take time and usually last between three to five hours. The treatment is painless, but it does require a small needle to breach the skin to connect the equipment to the body. You may feel some side effects afterward, such as fatigue.
Dialysis at Mee Memorial Healthcare System is done in an outpatient dialysis center setting.
Will I Need Dialysis for the Rest of My Life?
Dialysis is not a cure for kidney failure, but it does allow you to live without the complications of a failed kidney.
For more information about kidney disease and options, contact the National Kidney Foundation.
