Where can I do dialysis?

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) at home

If you’re starting dialysis, PD might be one of the treatment options available to you. It is usually done at home and can even be done while you sleep. It is also possible to do PD treatments while you travel. So, it might be the right therapy if remaining mobile or having a flexible treatment schedule is important to you.

Watch video

Watch video

Where can I do dialysis?

You can do dialysis in the hospital/clinic setting or you can dialyze at home or on the road with PD. Some patients have the potential to do home hemodialysis (HD).

Home

Peritoneal dialysis (PD)

PD cleans your blood continuously inside your body, using your own peritoneum as the filter. Your nurse will fully train you or your caregiver to perform PD at home.

Automated peritoneal dialysis (APD)

APD uses a machine called a PD cycler to perform the fluid exchanges. The treatment is done at home, during the night for 8–10 hours while you sleep.

Remote patient management (RPM) with APD

You and your clinician may consider using RPM to manage your APD treatments. RPM allows your clinician to follow your treatment and ensure you are on the right track, which may increase your confidence about doing your treatment at home.

If your APD cycler has RPM capabilities, it can collect accurate information about your daily treatments and automatically send it to your clinician at the hospital or clinic. Your clinician can monitor your therapy progress, change your machine prescription/program remotely, and discuss any problems you are having over the phone.

RPM allows your clinician to manage your disease while you’re doing treatment at home. If there are any issues during your treatment, your APD cycler will collect data related to this issue, which can then be reviewed by your clinician. The information your cycler sends to the clinic will help them decide on any changes to your treatment.

You will still need to contact your clinician or cycler manufacturer to address concerns during treatment that cannot wait until the morning.

Not all APD cyclers have RPM capabilities, so be sure to talk to your clinician about whether RPM fits into your treatment plan.

Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD)

CAPD does not require a dialysis machine. It uses gravity to exchange the fluid several times a day.

Home HD

Home HD is a therapy option that filters your blood outside your body using a dialysis machine and a manufactured membrane, called a dialyzer.

Hospital/Clinic

In-center HD

In-center HD filters your blood outside your body using a machine and a manufactured filter called a dialyzer. Nursing staff or technicians at the clinic perform conventional in-center HD. You may go to the hospital/clinic 3 times a week for dialysis. Each treatment lasts about 3–5 hours. Commute time to the hospital and wait time at the hospital could be up to 2 hours.

Other pages you may be interested in!

Which dialysis is right for me?

The 2 types of dialysis are peritoneal and hemodialysis. There may be medical or lifestyle reasons for why one type of dialysis best fits you.

Learn more

Dialysis access

An access needs to be created surgically on your body for dialysis. Whether PD or HD, the location and type of the access site is different.

Learn more