Treatment options for people on dialysis

Dialysis is a procedure for those with kidney failure, it filters the blood since the kidneys are unable to. Most people go to dialysis centers but there is another option.

There are two types of Dialysis.

“Hemodialysis which most people are used to, you clean your blood external to your body. So your blood is removed from your system, it’s cleaned by a machine, then it’s returned to you. With Peritoneal Dialysis, which is one of the two types of home dialysis you clean your blood within your own body,” says Dr. Mayra Rodriguez, Nephrologist.

There is the option to do the treatment of your choice at home instead of going to a center.

“The obvious difference there is your quality of life. A lot of people are able to maintain their jobs because they’re able to do this at night at home via a cycler which is a machine that does the exchanges of the fluids for you and essentially just being able to spend more time with family and travel,” says Dr. Rodriguez.

Monica Santana’s late sister, Jessica Rodriguez, underwent treatment at home and also at a center. She says her sister was able to maintain independence when doing dialysis at home.

“That wasn’t too bad, she had mobility in the house, she even got the opportunity to move out and get married. She was a normal housewife and at night she would do her at-home dialysis so it wouldn’t affect her life. And then that stopped working so she started doing hemodialysis,” says Santana.

Santana says her sister’s condition began to worsen. She has a message for those who are eligible for home dialysis.

“Go with home dialysis. Sure, you have kidney failure, that’s just something you have to accept but you can still have a normal life.”

Again, not everybody is eligible for home dialysis. To see if you’re eligible to make the transition ask the Nephrologist at your center.

If you’re not on dialysis and you are having problems with your kidneys contact your primary care physician or a nephrologist.