High level of satisfaction

Peritoneal Dialysis patients report a high level of satisfaction with their therapy.¹ PD patients typically require fewer medications², and your dietitian might be able to adjust some elements of your kidney-friendly diet.³ And since more than 60% of patients do Automated Peritoneal Dialysis (APD) which is usually done at night⁴, PD offers you the freedom and flexibility to spend your days doing the things you want to, with the people you love.

You can choose how it’s done

Even though we often refer to Peritoneal Dialysis as one kind of dialysis, there are actually two ways Peritoneal Dialysis exchanges can be done. In both types of PD, a special solution is placed inside your abdomen. This is usually done using an access called a catheter. Waste and excess fluid are filtered into the solution, which then leaves your body through the catheter in the abdomen. The first kind of PD is called Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD), which requires fluid exchanges three or four times per day. The second is Automated Peritoneal Dialysis (APD), which uses a machine called a cycler to perform the exchanges automatically while you sleep.

Is PD right for you?

Several conditions may prevent your doctor from prescribing PD, including previous abdominal surgeries or the presence of intestinal diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease or diverticulitis. Risks of PD include peritonitis or exit-site infections. Glucose found in the PD solution may lead to high blood sugar in patients with diabetes. Every patient is different, so it is important to talk to your doctor, nurse or social worker to determine if there are other reasons why PD may not be right for you.

^1. Rubin H, Fink N, Plantinga L, et al. "Patient ratings of Dialysis Care With Peritoneal Dialysis vs Hemodialysis." JAMA 2004;291: 697-703.
^2. USRDS 2009 Annual Data Report: Atlas of End-Stage Renal Disease in the United States, Vol. 3, 2009; 733-751, U.S. Renal Data System.
^3. Wang A, Lai K. “The importance of residual renal function in dialysis patients.” Kidney International 2006;69: 1726-1732.
^4. USRDS 2009 Annual Data Report: Atlas of End-Stage Renal Disease in the United States, Table D.11; 520, U.S. Renal Data System.