Haemodialysis Treatment
In the medical sciences, Dialysis refers to a process where the excess waste and liquids from the body are artificially removed when the kidneys fail to perform this function for the body. Since the build-up of toxins and excess liquid in the body can be fatal in case of real or kidney failure, and a kidney transplant is not always feasible due to multiple factors, dialysis, also known as the renal replacement therapy, can serve as a viable alternative in prolonging the life expectancy of patients and enhancing their quality of life.
In dialysis, the blood is filtered and purified using a machine which helps in maintaining the electrolyte and liquid balance in the body at optimal levels even in the absence of a properly functioning kidney. It may be a temporary course of treatment if a donor may be found or a permanent one.
Haemodialysis Treatment in India
There are two types of dialysis employed in the medical sciences–haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. At the Bhagwan Mahavir Relief Foundation Trust Medi-Dialysis Centre, facilities are provided for patients requiring Haemodialysis, under the supervision and care of expert nephrologists and technicians. The attempt at BMRFT is to minimize the financial burden of the dialysis procedures on the patients and their families by giving access to services at minimal costs.
The most common type of dialysis treatment provided to patients suffering from renal failure and/or disorders, haemodialysis makes use of a machine which acts as an artificial kidney. The machine then collects the toxins, waste and excess liquid from the patient’s body and expels it from the body by purifying the blood. The purified blood is then returned to the body through the dialysis machine.
The haemodialysis machine is connected to the patient’s body through an entrance point which may be with any of the following:
Arteriovenous (AV) fistula, through which an artery and a vein of the patient, usually in the arm, are connected to the dialysis machine. This is the most preferred type of access as the healing time is faster and the patient may begin dialysis within 2-3 months of surgery.
AV graft in which a looped tube is connected to the patient’s body. Patients receiving AV grafts may be ready for haemodialysis in as short a period as 2-3 weeks after the graft.
Vascular access catheter, an intravenous catheter which may be embedded into the large vein in your neck. However, it is not used for long-term dialysis treatments.
Haemodialysis treatments typically last from 3 to 5 hours and are administered three times a week. The treatment can be performed at hospitals, in clinics or in dedicated dialysis centres. If the physician feels the patient is well enough after some time of receiving regular dialysis treatment, the procedure may be carried out at home.