Devices

Peritoneal Dialysis

Another way to remove wastes from the blood is a process called peritoneal dialysis (PD). The walls of the abdominal cavity are lined with a membrane called the peritoneum. During PD, a mixture of sugar, salt and other minerals dissolved in water, called dialysis solution, is placed in a person's abdominal cavity through a catheter. The body's peritoneal membrane enclosing the digestive organs allows waste products and extra body fluid to pass from the blood into the dialysis solution.

These wastes then leave the body when the used solution is drained from the abdomen. Each cycle of filling and draining is called an exchange. There are three types of peritoneal dialysis, which differ mainly in the schedule of exchanges. Talk with your doctor about which type best suits your lifestyle.

Reference and Publication Information

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The content on this page was originally created on May 5, 2006 by the United Network for Organ Sharing and last modified on May 11, 2006. The following sources were used as references:

National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse, retrieved May 11, 2006.