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When you experience total renal (kidney) failure, your kidneys can no longer perform their usual task of filtering waste from your bloodstream. Dialysis artificially replaces your kidneys by hooking you up to a mechanism that performs kidney functions for you. A dialysis system helps to control blood pressure; removes waste, salt and extra water from your body; and maintains a safe level of bloodstream chemicals like sodium, potassium and bicarbonate. Dialysis can be performed in a hospital, in a separate dialysis unit, or at home with the proper equipment.

There are two major types of dialysis: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Hemodialysis attaches you to an outside-the-body “artificial kidney” (hemodialyzer) by connecting a tube to your bloodstream and cycling your blood through the machine and back into your body. A typical hemodialysis treatment takes about four hours and is performed three times a week.

During peritoneal dialysis, the blood is cleaned inside the body. A catheter (plastic tube) is inserted into your abdomen and your abdominal area is filled with a cleaning fluid (dialysate). The fluid remains in your abdomen for a few hours and is then flushed out and thrown away. You can perform this type of dialysis manually (Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis) or with the aid of an automatic cycling machine (Continuous Cycling Peritoneal Dialysis).

If you are at risk for kidney disease or kidney failure, you should consider a critical illness insurance policy from CancerPlans.com. Dialysis and related kidney drugs and treatments are extremely expensive, and planning ahead financially is a wise idea. CancerPlans.com provides a wide variety of critical illness insurance policies that pay a lump sum upon first diagnosis of kidney failure.

(1) Dialysis. July 2012. The National Kidney Foundation. July 17 2012. http://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/dialysisinfo.cfm