Separating the two compartments is a thin membrane with thousands of tiny holes. This membrane acts like the filters in a healthy kidney. The waste products in the blood pass through the holes into the dialysate. Blood cells, protein, and other vital substances are too large to pass through the holes. They remain in the first compartment and are returned to the body.
Blood is removed from and returned to the body at the same time.
Only a small amount is absent from the body at once. Dialysate flows constantly during dialysis. After it picks up waste products from the blood, it is discarded down a drain. Both the patient and the dialysis partner must take training at a certified facility. This training takes four to six weeks.