Peritoneal Dialysis vs. Hemodialysis. Quality of Life, Advantages, Disadvantages From A Person Who Has Been There

In 2018, more than 500,000 people were on dialysis. No matter how hard you try with kidney disease, sometimes, dialysis treatment may be the only option. Peritoneal dialysis and Hemodialysis are the two types of dialysis treatment. Hemodialysis works by taking out blood from your body into a machine that uses tubes connected to the machine to bring the filtered blood back into your body. Peritoneal dialysis is done by using your peritoneum as a natural filter. 

 

About 20 years ago, Robert was on hemodialysis for 2.5 years. In this video, he breaks down the differences between hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. With all the research that we have come in contact with, peritoneal dialysis is as effective as hemodialysis. Although that wasn’t the case a few decades ago. Many studies have shown that peritoneal dialysis entails a lot of benefits like hemodialysis. 

 

In hemodialysis, you have to visit a dialysis center that provides hemodialysis and be there for around 12 – 14 hours a week. Trying to set up hemodialysis at home for one person is unreasonably expensive. Fistula surgery is required to ensure that dialysis needles are correctly inserted during hemodialysis. Robert demonstrates what a fistula surgery looks like by showing us his fistula. He debates why hemodialysis is not the ideal option anymore as more and more research backs up the benefits of peritoneal dialysis. 

 

On the other hand, peritoneal hemodialysis is carried out by inserting a tube into your peritoneum and connecting it to a machine that use to perform this type of dialysis. A huge majority of kidney disease sufferers reveal how peritoneal dialysis is less painful and more manageable than hemodialysis. 

 

Choosing one of the two types of dialysis treatment is really up to you. With hemodialysis, you’re going to a dialysis center where you stay put for a couple of hours and the people do all the work for you. You may experience fatigue and headaches after hemodialysis. With peritoneal dialysis, you’re doing a lot of the work in this dialysis treatment. This can be done at home on your own schedule but it requires a lot of self-care to make this happen. Both hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis are just as effective. Be sure to talk to people who have been under both types of dialysis treatments to get a better insight. 

 

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