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Why it's done
By Mayo Clinic staffPeritoneal dialysis is often done to manage kidney failure until a kidney transplant is possible. Kidney failure itself usually results from a long-term (chronic) disease that causes kidney damage over a number of years. Common causes of kidney failure include:
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Kidney inflammation (glomerulonephritis)
- Blood vessel inflammation (vasculitis)
- Multiple cysts in the kidneys (polycystic kidney disease)
Your doctor can help you decide which type of dialysis will work best for you and when you should start, based on several factors:
- Your overall health
- Your kidney function (as measured by blood and urine tests)
- Your personal preferences
- Your home situation
Peritoneal dialysis may be the better option if:
- You can't tolerate the rapid changes of fluid balance associated with hemodialysis. During hemodialysis, your blood is pumped into a machine to be filtered and then returned to your body.
- You want to minimize the disruption of your daily activities and work or travel more easily.
Peritoneal dialysis might not work for you if:
- You have extensive surgical scars in your abdomen
- You have a limited ability to care for yourself or lack caregiving support at home
- You have inflammatory bowel disease or frequent bouts of diverticulitis
- Liu KD, et al. Dialysis in the treatment of renal failure. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Online. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=4. Accessed Nov. 24, 2010.
- Peritoneal dialysis: What you need to know. National Kidney Foundation. http://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/peritoneal.cfm. Accessed Nov. 24, 2010.
- Treatment methods for kidney failure: Peritoneal dialysis. National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC). http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/Kudiseases/pubs/peritoneal/. Accessed Nov. 24, 2010.
- Burkart JM, et al. Choosing a modality for peritoneal dialysis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 24, 2010.
- Burkart JM, et al. Adequacy of peritoneal dialysis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 24, 2010.
- Peritoneal dialysis dose and adequacy. National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC). http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/Kudiseases/pubs/peritonealdose/. Accessed Nov. 24, 2010.
- Post TW, et al. Overview of the management of chronic kidney disease in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 24, 2010.
- Gajjar AH. Peritoneal dialysis catheters: Laparoscopic versus traditional placement techniques and outcomes. The American Journal of Surgery. 2007;194:872.
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