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. Hemodialysis is not perfect for everyone.
Some people have health complications.
These include progressive nerve damage, problems regulating insulin dosages, malnutrition, increased rates of infection, and increased problems accessing the blood vessels. Sometimes, these complications are the result of diabetes, not of hemodialysis. Hemodialysis can cause other problems as well. These include high or low blood pressure, upset stomach or vomiting, anemia, and bone disease. Many doctors think peritoneal dialysis a better treatment than hemodialysis.