You can do both CAPD and automated peritoneal dialysis in any clean, private place, including at home, at work, or when travelling.īefore you travel, you can have the manufacturer ship the supplies to where you’re going so they’ll be there when you get there. People sometimes call this treatment continuous cycler-assisted peritoneal dialysis or CCPD. You may leave this solution in your belly all day or do one exchange in the middle of the afternoon without the machine. In the morning, you begin the day with fresh solution in your belly. With automated peritoneal dialysis, a machine called a cycler fills and empties your belly three to five times during the night. A machine does the exchanges while you sleep. During an exchange, you can read, talk, watch television, or sleep. You do not have to wake up at night to do an exchange. Usually, you change the solution at least four times a day and sleep with solution in your belly at night. The time that the dialysis solution is in your belly is called the dwell time. With CAPD, you keep the solution in your belly for 4 to 6 hours or more.
Each exchange takes about 30 to 40 minutes. You can do exchanges by hand in any clean, well-lit place. You do the exchanges during the day by hand. If one type of peritoneal dialysis doesn’t suit you, talk with your doctor about trying the other type.
Most people look and feel normal despite a belly full of solution. Some people need a larger size of clothing. You may feel the same as usual, or you may feel full or bloated.
How will I feel when the dialysis solution is inside my belly?
Dialysis can help you feel better and live longer, but it is not a cure for kidney failure. For the best results, it is important that you perform all of your exchanges as prescribed. You can do your exchanges during the day, or at night using a machine that pumps the fluid in and out. For this reason, you need to repeat the process of emptying the used solution and refilling your belly with fresh solution four to six times every day. When the solution is fresh, it absorbs wastes quickly. Then, you start over with a fresh bag of dialysis solution. You can throw away the used solution in a toilet or tub. Peritoneal dialysisĪfter a few hours, the solution and the wastes are drained out of your belly into the empty bag. While the dialysis solution is inside your belly, it absorbs wastes and extra fluid from your body. When the bag is empty, you disconnect it and place a cap on your catheter so you can move around and do your normal activities. When you start treatment, dialysis solution-water with salt and other additives-flows from a bag through the catheter into your belly. Health care providers call this lining the peritoneum.Ī few weeks before you start peritoneal dialysis, a surgeon places a soft tube, called a catheter, in your belly. Peritoneal dialysis is a treatment for kidney failure that uses the lining of your abdomen, or belly, to filter your blood inside your body. What is peritoneal dialysis and how does it work?