During peritoneal dialysis, blood vessels in your abdominal lining (peritoneum) fill in for your kidneys with the help of a fluid that washes in and out of the peritoneal space. Peritoneal dialysis is done in your home.

This name refers to the lining that surrounds the organs in your abdomen. That lining is called the peritoneal membrane. It forms a space that can hold fluid. With peritoneal dialysis, a permanent catheter is inserted through the lining into the space around your organs. Dialysis solution is drained through the catheter into that space. The peritoneal lining contains many blood vessels. The solution draws extra fluid, chemicals, and waste out of those blood vessels and through the lining. The lining acts as a filter. The solution is left in place for a number of hours while dialysis occurs. Then it's allowed to drain out through the catheter. New, clean solution is immediately drained in, filling up the space again. This process of exchanging old solution with new is called an exchange.

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July 28, 2016