|
Dialysis (CAPD)
What is
Dialysis (CAPD)?
Dialysis is a treatment that does some of the
things done by healthy kidneys. It is needed
when your own kidneys can no longer take care of
your body's needs.
Back to Top
Effects
of Dialysis (CAPD)
Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD)
replaces some of your kidney function by using
the lining of your abdomen, called your
peritoneum, to filter wastes and fluid out of
your blood.
Back to Top
Candidates for Dialysis (CAPD)
The
most important factor in whether you are suited
for CAPD is how much you want to do it. If you
have had many abdominal surgeries, you may not
be able to do CAPD. If you are a large person,
it may be hard to get enough dialysis with CAPD.
Back to Top
Your Consultation
A
small soft plastic tube called a catheter needs
to be placed in the abdomen. This can be done
either with a local or a general anaesthetic.
The catheter is not uncomfortable, and once the
small wound has healed, is quite secure. The
catheter can be used at once if dialysis is
needed urgently. Usually the catheter is not
used until 2 weeks later. This allows the cut in
the skin to be well healed. This good healing
ensures that there will be no leakage of
dialysate from the abdomen back through the
skin. You will be asked to stay in hospital for
1 to 2 weeks to learn how to do the bag changes.
Once confident with the technique, you can
return home. After a short while, the bag
changes are easily fitted into the daily
routine.
Back to Top
The
Dialysis (CAPD) Procedure
In
this type of dialysis, your blood is cleaned
inside your body. The doctor will do surgery to
place a plastic tube called a catheter into your
abdomen (belly) to make an access. During the
treatment, your abdominal area (called the
peritoneal cavity) is slowly filled with
dialysate through the catheter. The blood stays
in the arteries and veins that line your
peritoneal cavity. Extra fluid and waste
products are drawn out of your blood and into
the dialysate. There are two major kinds of
peritoneal dialysis.
There are several kinds of peritoneal dialysis
but two major ones are: Continuous Ambulatory
Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) and Continuous
Cycling Peritoneal Dialysis (CCPD).
Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD)
is the only type of peritoneal dialysis that is
done without machines. You do this yourself,
usually four or five times a day at home and/or
at work. You put a bag of dialysate (about two
quarts) into your peritoneal cavity through the
catheter. The dialysate stays there for about
four or five hours before it is drained back
into the bag and thrown away. This is called an
exchange. You use a new bag of dialysate each
time you do an exchange.
Back to Top
Recovery
While
the dialysate is in your peritoneal cavity, you
can go about your usual activities at work, at
school or at home.
Many
dialysis patients can go back to work after they
have gotten used to dialysis. If your job has a
lot of physical labor (heavy lifting, digging,
etc.), you may need to get a different job.
Back to Top
Risks
You
may have some discomfort when the needles are
put into your fistula or graft, but most
patients have no other problems. The dialysis
treatment itself is painless. However, some
patients may have a drop in their blood
pressure. If this happens, you may feel sick to
your stomach, vomit, have a headache or cramps.
With frequent treatments, those problems usually
go away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
What is the purpose of dialysis?
A:
Like
healthy kidneys, dialysis keeps your body in
balance. Dialysis does the following:
-
removes waste, salt and extra water to prevent
them from building up in the body
-
keeps a safe level of certain chemicals in
your blood, such as potassium, sodium and
bicarbonate
-
helps to control blood pressure
Q:
Who needs dialysis?
A:
You
need dialysis when you develop end stage kidney
failure - usually by the time you lose about 85
to 90 percent of your kidney function.
Q:
Is kidney failure permanent?
A:
Not always. Some kinds of acute kidney failure
get better after treatment. In some cases of
acute kidney failure, dialysis may only be
needed for a short time until the kidneys get
better. In chronic or end stage kidney failure,
your kidneys do not get better and you will need
dialysis for the rest of your life. If your
doctor says you are a candidate, you may choose
to be placed on a waiting list for a new kidney.
Q:
What are the advantages and disadvantages of
CAPD?
A:
The main advantage of PD is that it can be done
at home. It is easy to travel. The bags can be
delivered directly to many parts of the world.
The machine for APD comes in a case on wheels,
and so is easily transported too. Patients on PD
are therefore very independent, and need only
visit hospital every one to three months for a
check-up. Since the dialysis is continuous,
there are fewer dietary and food restrictions
than on haemodialysis. Some people however, do
not like doing the bag changes, and feel that
they can never get away from this commitment.
The major drawback of PD is peritonitis. PD
cannot be used in someone who has had many
abdominal operations. In this situation, the
peritoneum tends to be scarred, and will not
function correctly.
The following list of Urology procedures are
performed at Beverly Hills Medical Group -
please click the links to find out more:
|
