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What is Hemodialysis?

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If you have been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease or have suffered a severe injury to one of your kidneys, your doctor may have prescribed hemodialysis treatments. Without a full explanation, hemodialysis can sound quite intimidating. It is important to remember that this is a crucial and unique medical treatment, and that there are professionals who can help you through it.

What Exactly is Hemodialysis?

Your kidneys help your body filter waste and excess fluids for eventual expulsion. If they fail due to disease or injury, hemodialysis is used to “take their place” until the kidneys recover or are replaced via organ transplant. The actual process of hemodialysis involves hooking your body up to a dialyzer, or a system of tubes and pumps, that pull blood from your body and through a filter before pumping it back into your body. Without functioning kidneys or the artificial filter created by hemodialysis, patients may experience acidosis complications, chronic nausea, low blood pressure, and additional dangerous symptoms.

Where is Hemodialysis Performed?

Many people choose to go to a hospital or dialysis clinic for their hemodialysis treatments. These sessions generally last several hours and must be done several times a week. Since this is not convenient for basically anyone’s schedule, you can actually perform hemodialysis at home with proper training, health conditions, and equipment. Although hemodialysis will still take 3 to 8 hours a session, it is much easier to complete in your own home than having to visit a hospital regularly.

Who Can Help Me with Hemodialysis?

Hemodialysis can be complicated, as it requires careful care and monitoring during the entire session. The dialysis access point – where you actually pump blood in and out of your body – can become clogged or infected if hemodialysis is not done correctly, so a professional’s eye is incredibly useful and widely advised by doctors. It is also beneficial to have a trained physician present to help calm your mind if you are nervous around blood or during any medical procedure.

At King Street Rehab, our Westchester County facility provides recovery care and do not provide treatments in-house; however, if you need help finding a quality practitioner to perform your hemodialysis treatments, we encourage you to contact us for referrals. Additionally, we can also explain how our other services can be used in conjunction with hemodialysis to promote faster healing. Call (914) 600-7149today for more information.


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