This technique requires a dialysis machine and specially treated water. When your access is ready, two needles will be placed to serve as an artery and a vein. The artery needle will take blood from your body and clean it using an artificial kidney. Cleaned blood will then go from the artificial kidney to the venous needle in your access and into your circulating system. This procedure is done at the hemodialysis unit by specially trained dialysis staff.
Dialysis cleans the blood very efficiently in a short period of time.
You will be free until your next dialysis treatment. Dialysis effectively controls your blood pressure and also removes excess fluid. The Treatment is done by the dialysis staff. You see other patients on a regular scheduled basis and can talk with them about your diet, medications and problems etc. There is the potential for infection secondary to access cannulation.