Dialysis

When kidneys fail, patients require dialysis, a process for removing waste from the blood in patients with either acute or chronic loss of kidney function. There are two forms of dialysis: peritoneal dialysis which is done through a catheter (tube) placed into the peritoneal cavity (abdomen), or hemodialysis which is done through the bloodstream, either via a catheter which is placed in a vein, or an arterial-venous access created surgically. Peritoneal dialysis is done at home. Outpatient hemodialysis may be done at home, in-hospital at Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital site of Halton Healthcare (HH), and the HH Satellite Dialysis Unit located at the Joseph Brant Wellness Centre in Burlington. The prescription for dialysis is individualized from patient-to-patient.