kidney dialysis

Kidney Dialysis



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The kidneys are two small, bean-shaped organs located on the back of the torso and below the lower ribs. While people are born with two kidneys, the body can work perfectly with a single healthy kidney. Functions of the kidneys include: filtering waste from the blood, balancing the body's fluid content, regulating blood pressure and producing red blood cells. Diseases, congenital defects or injuries can damage the kidneys and prevent them from functioning normally. When 85 to 90 percent of renal function is lost, the term "end-stage renal failure" is used and dialysis is recommended. There are two types of dialysis: peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis. The type of dialysis that consists in carrying out the work of the damaged kidneys, through the use of an artificial kidney to filter the blood, is called hemodialysis. During this procedure, blood is drawn from the body slowly and passed through a special filter called a dialyzer, where debris and excess fluid are removed. Once cleaned and filtered, the blood is returned to the body. In order to perform hemodialysis, there must be adequate access to the vascular system. For this purpose, a special type of permanent arteriovenous access is created surgically. Hemodialysis is usually done three times a week and can be carried out as a continuous treatment until the kidneys resume their function or until the patient receives a transplant.