18 Apr How is Dialysis Performed?

Numerous diseases and ailments around the world squeeze the life out of a patient even before they die. While cancer is one predicament, kidney issues are another. Little do people having kidney issues lead a normal life! They have to opt for dialysis because their kidneys lose the ability to purify the blood.

Kidneys are two bean-shaped organs that lie below the lower portion of your rib cage, on both sides of the spine. Kidneys play an integral role in purifying the blood, eliminating the toxins and waste from the body, and keeping the blood pressure at an optimal level. Besides ensuring the strength of your bones, they ensure that your blood has the right amount of all the necessary minerals like sodium and potassium. Last but not the least, they trigger the creation of a hormone behind the making of red blood cells in your body.

What is Dialysis?

Dialysis refers to a treatment procedure where a machine takes over the task your kidney used to perform. In other words, it makes up for the condition where the kidneys don’t function the proper way. There are two types of dialysis;

• Hemodialysis: Hemodialysis refers to a procedure where your blood is pumped out of your body into an external purifying machine. After purification, the blood gets pumped back into the body.
• Peritoneal Dialysis: When it comes to peritoneal dialysis, the blood gets purified within the body itself. Here a special fluid gets injected into the abdomen that absorbs all the waste and toxins in the blood passing through the vessels of the abdominal cavity. Once the toxins get absorbed, the fluid drains away naturally. Such dialysis procedures can get performed at home.

Procedures to make Hemodialysis work

To make hemodialysis work, you require a minor dialysis surgery to help the machine get access to your bloodstream. Here comes the need for a reliable dialysis surgeon to get the job done. Are you looking for the best dialysis surgeon in Kolkata? Kanak nursing home, Hooghly houses one of the most trusted and best dialysis surgeons in Kolkata. We have three famous nephrologists cum dialysis surgeons available at the hospital with Dr. K.L. Karmakar, Dr. Abhirup. Bhunia, and Dr. Abhishek Chakrabarti.

The best dialysis surgeon in Kolkata at Kanak nursing might implement any of the following procedures as a part of the dialysis surgery;

• Fistula – Under this procedure, a vein and an artery get joined together under the skin of your arm. The dialysis surgeon makes an A-V fistula there to conduct the hemodialysis. Once the fistula is underuse, it takes around four to six weeks for the fistula to heal. The doctor can use the same spot over the years.
• Graft – Also known as an arteriovenous graft, here a plastic tube is under use to join an artery and vein under the epidermis layer of your skin. Unlike the fistula, the graft incision lasts for around two weeks. Thus, after two weeks, you can allow the doctor to resume the dialysis procedure again.

Conversely, the graft is not as long-lasting as the fistula. You will require another graft in a few years to continue the dialysis procedure. A graft also has a higher infection-causing rate than a fistula.

• Catheter: The catheter provides a quicker opportunity to opt for hemodialysis with immediate inception. The dialysis surgeon inserts a flexible tube in a vein in your neck, right between your collarbone. Another insertion option lies in between the groin. The catheter option is for shorter durations than the above two procedures.

While the hemodialysis is underway, you will have to lie back or sit on a chair. An expert pair of hands will insert the needs in the area available via fistula or the graft available. The hemodialysis machine consists of a pump that pumps out the blood and sends it to the machine named a dialyzer.

The dialyzer ensures that the excess salt, toxins, and waste get filtered out of the blood. The purified blood travels back into the body through a second needle. The same happens in the case of a catheter where the blood travels through one pipe and returns through another.

What can be the side effects of dialysis?

Dialysis can induce a primary side effect of fatigue among the patients. The reasons behind the fatigue can be the diet restrictions associated with the procedure as well as the post-procedural effects. Following are the side effects associated with the two dialysis procedures;

• Hemodialysis:
• Low blood pressure
• Sepsis.
• Muscle cramps.
• Itchy skin
• Dry mouth.
• Sleeplessness.
• Joint pain
• Losing sex drive or erectile dysfunction.

• Peritoneal dialysis
• Peritonitis
• Weight gain.
• Hernia.

How much does dialysis cost?

Kanak nursing home endeavors to provide the best dialysis treatment at an affordable cost. Curing the patient is of primary importance and not draining their financial resources. Contact us for detailed information.