Your kidneys are the keys to keeping your body in balance by eliminating waste, maintaining chemical levels and controlling blood pressure. For people with chronic kidney failure and end-stage renal disease, dialysis treatments, which mimic kidney function, are needed for the rest of their lives.
You may be familiar with hemodialysis, which pumps blood out of the body to an artificial kidney machine, then returns blood to the body via tubes that connect you to the machine. During peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your abdomen acts as a natural filter.
More about peritoneal dialysis
Before peritoneal dialysis, a plastic catheter is surgically placed into your abdomen (belly) to create access. During the treatment, your abdominal area (peritoneal cavity) is slowly filled with dialysate through the catheter. The blood stays in the arteries and veins that line your peritoneal cavity. Extra fluid and waste products are drawn out of your blood and into the dialysate. There are two types of peritoneal dialysis:
- Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis CAPD – The only type of machine-free peritoneal dialysis treatment, CAPD can be done while you go about your normal activities such as work or school. You do the treatment on your own, by hooking a plastic bag of cleansing fluid to the tube in your abdomen.
- Automated Peritoneal Dialysis (APD) – During APD, a machine (cycler) delivers and drains the cleansing fluid for you. This is usually done at night while you sleep.
Dedicated to being the best kidney doctors, right here in South Texas
At South Texas Renal Care Group, we are proud to be the leader in providing both inpatient and outpatient dialysis care in San Antonio. We exist to serve the people of San Antonio and South Texas through personalized and exceptional kidney care through the latest technologies. Each day, our team of board-certified doctors strives to be the very best nephrologists to deliver optimal treatment outcomes and an excellent quality of daily living. Come see the difference our brand of advanced, compassionate kidney care can make in your life!
To learn more or schedule an appointment, call 210-212-8622 or click here to use our online form.