Identify early
Chronic kidney diseases identified at an early stage can be controlled with a strict diet, healthy lifestyle and medication for diabetes, high blood pressure. If your symptoms [check here to see early signs] show that you could have a CKD contact your doctor for a treatment plan. Click to read more about medication
If the kidney no longer is functioning, dialysis is recommended to fulfill the failing functions.
Main types of dialysis
Haemodialysis (HD)
Maintenance Haemodialysis HD at unit
An estimated 1.5 million patients with established renal failure are treated with HD.
This method of dialysis is performed by a machine that helps by cleaning the blood. Before the treatment, a needle, attached to the machine is inserted into a blood vessel to transfer the blood from your body into the machine. The machine purifies the blood before is pumped back into the body.
The access to blood vessels is done using either a catheter or a fistula.
- The catheter or artificial tube is inserted in one of the large veins in the neck or in the groin to enable dialysis to be undertaken. Prone to infection.
- Fistula is an alternative and more permanent means of access to veins. It is a formed link between an artery and a vein, usually placed at the wrist or inner part of the elbow depending on the size of the blood vessels in the non-dominant arm. Takes between six and eight weeks to start treatment. Read more
Choose from a series of resources:
- Resources from NHS Choices
- Resources from My Kidney Plan
- How HD works? Animated Resource from Kidney Patients Guide
- Resources from NKF
What our patients say
My body, my dialysis choice (Stuart Powell)…APD was an excellent choice for me as I was able to dialyse whilst I slept. At last my life was back in my control. If offered to you I can highly recommend that you attend the pre-dialysis class’s as they are an excellent opportunity to help you in making your decision. Read more
Have your say – write your story
Peritoneal dialysis
PD Tenchkhoff Catheter
Peritoneal dialysis (PD) happens inside the body. A thin membrane called the peritoneal membrane forms a lining in the abdomen. This membrane also covers the organs that fit within the abdominal cavity. The membrane is semipermeable, allowing certain things pass through it. PD uses this membrane to filter your blood during dialysis.
A catheter [small tube], is surgically placed through the abdominal wall into the peritoneal cavity and could be used usually 10-14 days after the procedure. The dialysis fluid [2 to 3 litres] are introduced into the peritoneal cavity using the catheter. Read more about PD
Choose from a series of resources:
- Resources from My Kidney Plan
- How PD works? – Animated resources from Kidney Patients Guide
- Automated PD – resources from Kidney Reaserch UK
- Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) – resources from Kidney Reaserch UK
What our patients say
extras from blog goes here
Have your say – write your story [link to blog]
Conservative care
It is your choice to choose not to go on dialysis. Read more about his option
What treatment works best for you?
Read from a list of web resources:
- Resources from NHS Choices
- Right Care – Decision Tool
Check this glossary of terms if need more info.
Search the forum to find what other patients say.
Hi,
Your page on treatment options has an article re haemodialysis then a comment from a patient re APD. The article lower down the page refers to PD but there is no explanation of what APD is unless you click & read more on the PD article. It might be better if the article came first.
The read more links to Baxter’s explanation of PD. Their explanation of PD states that it does not interfere with your sex life. I have found that APD does. If you are connected, any activity is almost certain to cause a block on your tube and the alarm to go off. Sexual activity would be better planned to take place before or after connection / disconnection.
Nevertheless, I do like APD and would not want to swap for any other mode of dialysis. However, your treatment page does not mention organ transplantation as an option. In Lancs & South Cumbria, where I reside, and in many parts of the country, maybe Hope is an exception, pre-dialysis live donor transplantation is considered the optimum. As a national recommendation, I would have thought it should feature on this page.
Also available in L&SC is assisted PD where a nurse helps you set up. to make PD available to those who are not capable for whatever reason of doing it themselves. Maybe that would be worth a mention?
regards
John Sagar
Thanx
Hi All, Hope you can help 😦
I have Spina Bifida and I am currently on Haemodialysis. I have been told I have 98% antibodies and there is nothing that can be done.
I would like some advice as to other options, if there is any elsewhere.. ❓ ❓
Thanx
Hi Idris, normally plasmapheresis is used to remove antibodies but only in cases where the recipient has a living donor. It’s not used to increase the likelihood of a cadaveric donor. The document in the link below gives more details about the process.
Antibody Incompatible Transplant
Hi Rob,
I found this website also:
http://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/our-services/transplant/kidney-transplant/specialties/antibody-incompatible-kidney-transplant.aspx
What is your opinion on this… ❓ ❓
Thank You
Hi Idris, I have seen that but it’s very sketchy on the detail. It may be worth taking a copy of it to your next clinic appointment and discussing it with your consultant. I’ve also contacted one of my colleagues who is a patient at Guys to seek clarification if the details on the website refer to cadaveric transplants and if they take referrals from elsewhere in the country. I’ll let you know when I hear back from them.
Thanx again Rob… For your help and advice.
Hi Idris, I’ve received an update from my colleague about the web link from Guy’s and St Thomas Hospital. They are indeed trialling a service which offers the opportunity of cadaveric donation to people like you with high antibody levels but it is in the very early stages with a number of hurdles to overcome such as the development of protocols for the delivery of such a service. Plus there is currently an issue with staffing such a service as in reality it would be a 24 hour a day 7 day a week service reflecting as and when a deceased donor transplant becomes available.
In terms of referral it may be something for your medical team to discuss with Guys’ as clearly this treatment is specific to a small number of patients and there would be an issue of getting to Guy’s in a timely fashion which clearly brings challenges.
Ideally this treatment should be available at all transplant centres however learning from centres like Guys’ will be the first step and I’m sure Manchester Royal Infirmary will be watching the developments at Guy’s very closely.
I’m attending a meeting in early July with one of the senior nurses involved in this project so I’ll hopefully be able to give you a progress update after that.
Thanx
Hi
On another topic. I’ve just been asked to take Velphoro instead of Renagel… Anybody else on it.. ❓ ❓ ❓
What dya think of it.. ❓ ❓ ❓
Thanx
Hi Idris, you might be better posting questions like this in the GMKIN Facebook group. Just search on Facebook for GM Kidney information Network and request to join.