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Contact: Amy Blaser

(COLUMBUS, Neb.) – Your kidneys perform vital work, including filtering waste products from your
blood and keeping minerals in balance. But certain conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes,
can damage your kidneys, which could lead to kidney failure (also called end-stage kidney disease).
When that happens, healthcare providers use machines to help perform some of the kidneys' key
functions — a process called dialysis.

Here’s some more information about dialysis:

How does dialysis help you?

It performs some of the work the kidneys did when they were healthy, such as removing excess fluid
and waste from your blood. Dialysis doesn't cure kidney failure, since it cannot fully replace the kidneys'
function. But it can help you stay healthier.

What are the different types of dialysis?

During hemodialysis, a machine filters your blood outside your body. The filtered blood is then put back
into your body. Before starting hemodialysis, a surgeon creates an access site for the dialysis needle
through a vein or artery in the arm.

Peritoneal dialysis uses the lining of your abdomen (peritoneum) to filter your blood inside your body.
Before you start peritoneal dialysis, a surgeon places a catheter in your abdomen. This catheter
introduces a special fluid that absorbs waste from the blood. Then, the fluid and waste are removed
using the same catheter.

How often do you need dialysis?

If you go to a dialysis center for hemodialysis, you will typically have treatments for about four hours,
three times a week. Some dialysis centers offer treatments at night while you sleep. Hemodialysis can
also be performed at home with a small dialysis machine — usually three to seven times a week. Home
dialysis offers a more flexible treatment schedule.

With peritoneal dialysis, the process of emptying and filling the dialysis solution happens several times a
day. It can be performed by hand, or a machine can do it at night while you sleep. You can undergo this
type of dialysis at home or even while you’re traveling.

Can you have a good quality of life on dialysis?

Dialysis changes your life in many ways and requires a time commitment. Still, many people continue
working and enjoying activities.