While healthy kidneys have several functions in the body, the most well-known job is to produce urine. When kidney function goes below 10% to 15% kidneys are no longer able to filter the blood and make urine. This causes toxins to build up in the body along with excess fluid. Fortunately, we live in a time when there are treatments and medicines that can replace the functions of the kidneys and keep the body alive. One type of renal replacement therapy — meaning a treatment that replaces kidney function — is hemodialysis. Hemodialysis is a therapy that filters waste, removes extra fluid and balances electrolytes (sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, chloride, calcium, magnesium and phosphate).
Benefits HEMODIALYSIS & Surgery
Aside from allowing people to continue living a relatively normal life, hemodialysis has other benefits, such as:
- Hemodialysis requires less time than peritoneal dialysis
Hemodialysis treatments may occur at a hospital, dialysis center or your own home three times a week, with each session lasting between three and five hours. This leaves most of the week dialysis-free. By contrast, peritoneal dialysis takes between 10 and 12 hours every day.
- Hemodialysis carries a relatively low risk of infection
Hemodialysis uses and arteriovenous (AV) fistula, which is the gold standard vascular access used to access a person’s blood. Common complications of peritoneal dialysis include infections of the abdominal lining or at the site where the catheter is inserted to carry the cleansing fluid.
- Hemodialysis requires less surgical interventions
AV fistulas for dialysis last many years, longer than transplanted kidneys and catheters for peritoneal dialysis. This type of dialysis does not typically require additional surgeries.
- Prevention of or improvements to medical conditions caused by a patient’s obesity.
- Surge in energy.
- Increased life expectancy.
- Increased self esteem.
- Weight loss.
- Better sleep.
Surgery is a medical specialty that focuses on the use of operative techniques to investigate and resolve certain medical conditions caused by disease or traumatic injury. Surgery can have many possible purposes, such as to improve bodily function, enhance physical appearance, or repair damaged or ruptured areas.