Peritoneal Dialysis
Why PD may be right for you
- You do not have to come into hospital to do your dialysis. You will only need to come to the clinic for check ups.
- You should be able to fit dialysis in around family, social and work life.
- It is similar to the way your kidneys work because it is happening all the time. This means that what you eat and drink is not as restricted as with haemodialysis.
- Supplies can be delivered to most places.
- It is fine to exercise while on PD. However, we advise against any heavy lifting or contact sports.
- If you choose APD you dialyse overnight instead of during the day, making it easier to fit around work and leisure.
Why PD may not be right for you
PD needs to be done every day. You need to be able to build this into your life.
You will need a clean, dry area to store supplies, which take up about the same space as a single bed. This could be a spare room, a large cupboard, a shed or a garage.
PD may not be suitable for you if you:
- have had major surgery on your abdomen.
- have bowel disease such as diverticulitis, colitis or are very overweight.
- live alone and need significant support.
- do not have a permanent address.
If you choose CAPD you will need to be flexible in your daytime activities so that you have time to do four exchanges.
What are the possible complications with PD?
The main complication is peritonitis, which is an infection of the peritoneal membrane, the lining of the peritoneal cavity where the fluid sits. You will be shown how to reduce the risk of peritonitis and what to do if you think you have it.
Occasionally you might get an infection where the catheter comes out of your abdomen, known as the exit site. This can usually be treated successfully with antibiotics.
Sometimes people have problems draining the fluid out of their body, but you can be taught how to deal with this.
In a small number of cases an abdominal hernia might happen because of pressure caused by the dialysis fluid. If this happens you will need a small operation to repair the hernia.
More information about Peritoneal Dialysis (PD)
More information can be found on the following sites:
http://www.kidneypatientguide.org.uk/pd.php
http://www.kidney.org.uk/help/medical-information-from-the-nkf-/medical-info-pd/
And you can download the following brochure on PD.
