About Dialysis Technology

Dialysis is a medical procedure which is used to replicate the filtering process of the kidneys in patients with limited or no kidney function. In recent years the technology and techniques in the dialysis process have evolved a great deal, opening many new options for those who require frequent dialysis procedures.

The Facts

The kidneys filter a person's blood and remove excess water and minerals from the bloodstream. Without this natural filtration system in working order, a patient will generally die from complications in a relatively short time. The primary method for treating these patients is called dialysis. Without modern dialysis, those with failing kidneys or nonfunctioning kidneys would generally die. Dialysis technology is continuing to evolve, as well, with the hopes that those who require permanent dialysis will be able to lead more normal lives.

Type

There are several different types of dialysis technology used today. All of them have benefits and risk factors, and some may be used in combination with others.
Hemodialysis passes the patient's blood through a machine that filters out the same basic compounds and minerals that the kidneys would under ordinary circumstances.
Peritoneal dialysis, on the other hand, involves the introduction of a filtering liquid into the body cavity. This liquid then uses a part of the intestines as a filter and removes the necessary waste. The liquid is later pumped back out of the body cavity and excreted.
Hemofiltration is very similar to hemodialysis in that it uses a filtration machine. The main difference is that this form of dialysis technology uses a new filtration system that shows promise as a far better means of doing the kidneys' work.
Lastly, intestinal dialysis is a relatively new dialysis technology in which patients consume large quantities of fiber and use the ensuing bacterial growth to help filter unnecessary compounds and to keep those compounds from being absorbed into the intestines.

Benefits

Hemodialysis has been the standard dialysis technology for quite some time. Because of this, its primary benefit is the fact that it has been studied in detail and all of its effects are very well understood by the scientific community. The major benefit of peritoneal dialysis is the fact that it can be done from home, after training, and may allow for a slightly more normal lifestyle and schedule. Hemofiltration is probably the most promising dialysis technology. Though it doesn't have the established track record of hemodialysis, hemofiltration looks extremely promising and may be a much better treatment option. The main benefit of intestinal dialysis is that it is noninvasive.

Risk Factors

Each of the different dialysis technologies also comes with its own set of risk factors and complications. For example, hemodialysis patients and hemofiltration patients are restricted because they often need to receive dialysis several times each week. Plus, there's the potential risk that even the best filtration won't do a good enough job and that they'll succumb to their disease despite their best efforts otherwise.
Those patients who try to go a less invasive, scheduled route will often elect peritoneal dialysis or intestinal dialysis. The main drawback to either of these methods is that they aren't subject to medical regulation and also aren't as effective as the direct blood-filtration methods. Also, those using peritoneal dialysis can cause themselves irreparable harm if the procedure is done improperly.

Evolution

The basic evolution of dialysis technology will continue to be the search for methods of blood filtration that don't require continual, lengthy, expensive visits to a dialysis clinic. The sad fact for most patients, however, is that dialysis technology simply hasn't evolved far enough to allow for a normal life. The future of dialysis technology remains uncertain, but many hopeful studies are under way, and there is a great deal of hope within the medical community that future treatments and technology may eliminate the need for dialysis altogether.

Resources

• Dialysis Info from the National Kidney Foundation