Peritoneal Dialysis

Peritoneal Dialysis is a daily self-care treatment that patients can do alone.  It lets patients fit their treatments into their lives, instead of fitting their lives around the center's schedule. 

Peritoneal dialysis is a therapy that uses the peritoneal membrane (membrane that surrounds the organs in the abdomen) as a dialysis membrane.

There are two types of Peritoneal Dialysis:

CAPD (Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis): Performed four to five times per day through manual exchanges done by the patient without a machine.

CCPD (Continuous Cycler-Assisted Peritoneal Dialysis): Done in addition to manual day-time exchanges or as the only therapy, CCPD uses an assist machine, called a Cycler to do the exchanges, usually while the patient sleeps at night.

Patients who chose Peritoneal Dialysis, are taught to perform the therapy either alone or in combination with a partner. A partner is not required, however. A thorough training course is completed over a period of two to three weeks. The patient is taught all aspects of self-care from performing the exchange procedure to monitoring their response to dialysis therapy as well as ordering/maintaining their home supplies.

Peritoneal Dialysis patients are required to be seen once a month, for an in-clinic visit with a trained dialysis nurse, their doctor, dietician and a social worker.

Although Peritoneal Dialysis is performed by the patient, a Peritoneal Dialysis Nurse is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help manage your home care.