Peritoneal dialysis

Description:
Peritoneal dialysis is a procedure that replaces the work of the kidneys for people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). It removes excess fluid and water from the body when the kidneys no longer can. This type of dialysis uses the lining of the abdomen to filter the blood. This lining is called the peritoneal membrane.

Dialysate, a cleansing solution, travels through a tube to the abdomen. Fluid and waste pass from blood vessels in the peritoneal membrane into the dialysate. After a few hours, the dialysate gets drained from the abdomen, taking the waste from the blood along with it. Then the abdomen must be filled with fresh dialysate so the cleaning process can begin again.

Three types of peritoneal dialysis exist:

• Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD): This is the most common type of peritoneal dialysis. No machine is necessary, and the blood is always being cleaned. The dialysate passes from a plastic bag through a catheter and into the abdomen. The catheter remains sealed and the dialysate stays in the abdomen. After a few hours, the solution should be drained back into the bag, and the process can start over again with fresh dialysate.
  
  
• Continuous cyclic peritoneal dialysis (CCPD): CCPD is similar to CAPD except that a machine automatically fills and drains the dialysate from the abdomen during sleep. Treatments last from 10 to 12 hours every night.
  
  
• Intermittent peritoneal dialysis (IPD): IPD uses the same type of machine as CCPD to add and drain dialysate. IPD treatments take longer than CCPD. Treatments are performed a total of 36 to 42 hours per week.