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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)
- Polycystic kidney disease (cysts in the kidney)
Your doctor will 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. In 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
- Dialysis in the treatment of renal failure. In: Fauci AS, et al, eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. United States of America: The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/popup.aspx?aID=2881062&print=yes. Accessed Aug. 24, 2008.
- Peritoneal dialysis: What you need to know. National Kidney Foundation. https://www.kidney.org/atoz/atozItem.cfm?id=197. Accessed Sep. 10, 2008.
- Treatment methods for kidney failure: Peritoneal dialysis. National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC). http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/Kudiseases/pubs/peritoneal/. Accessed Sep. 10, 2008.
- Berns JS. Patient information: Renal replacement therapy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 26, 2008.
- Mailloux LU. Dialysis modality and patient outcome. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 26, 2008.
- Peritoneal dialysis dose and adequacy. National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC). http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/Kudiseases/pubs/peritonealdose/. Accessed Sep. 10, 2008.
- Berns JS. Patient information: Chronic kidney disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html.
- Gajjar AH. Peritoneal dialysis catheters: Laparoscopic versus traditional placement techniques and outcomes. The American Journal of Surgery. 2007;194:872.
