Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) is different from In-center Hemodialysis (ICHD)

Peritoneal Dialysis offers medical benefits

For starters, PD better preserves your remaining kidney function and patients with remaining kidney function may experience health benefits including reduced medications³ and better nutritional status⁴. (Both of which help PD patients lead more active lives.) PD patients have been shown to be more likely to have a transplant when compared to HD patients⁵. Recent studies have also suggested that PD can offer improved early survival (within the first two years) compared to hemodialysis.⁶ Overall, long term survival has been shown to be similar for patients treated with PD and patients treated with HD.⁶ Please remember that every patient is different and that survival rates may vary significantly from person to person depending on age, physical condition and many other factors. 

You keep your dialysis care team

Even though PD takes place at home, you don't have to do it alone. You will go through as many days of training as you need to feel comfortable with the process and ready to go home and do it yourself. After starting PD, your dialysis care team doesn’t leave. You will still have monthly appointments with your nephrologist. And if you have questions, or need help with your equipment and supplies, your social worker, nurse, dietitian and technical support will always be just a phone call away. 


Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) Care Team

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. Lysaght M, Vonesh E, Gotch F, et al. “The influence of dialysis treatment modality on the decline of remaining renal function.” ASAIO Trans. 1991;37: 598-604.
^2. Moist L, Port F, Orzol S, et al. Predictors of Loss of Residual Renal Function among New Dialysis Patients. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2000;11:556-564.
^3. 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.
^4. Wang A, Lai K. “The importance of residual renal function in dialysis patients.” Kidney International 2006;69: 1726-1732
^5. Snyder J, Kasiske L, Gilbertson D, et al. “A comparison of transplant outcomes in peritoneal and hemodialysis patients.” Kidney International 2002;62: 1423-1430.
^6. Yeates, K et al. Hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis are associated with similar outcomes for end-stage renal disease treatment in Canada. Nephrol Dial Transpl. 2012; 27: 3568-3575.