Newsletter

Home dialysis: It could be the best thing your doctor ordered

Your doctor says you are a candidate for home dialysis and would like you to consider it. There are many advantages to home dialysis compared to treatment in an outpatient dialysis center.

Treatment options for patients with kidney disease have dramatically expanded and improved over the last decade. Kidney transplantation remains the best choice for resumption of a normal lifestyle — however patients may face a waiting list of several years.

Dialysis treatments remove the hundreds of toxins the kidneys would normally eliminate. For patients with chronic kidney disease who need dialysis, in-home dialysis offers potential clinical benefits and lifestyle advantages over traditional in-center dialysis.

Benefits of home dialysis

  • Improved quality-of-life, including work-life balance
  • Increased sense of control and involvement in treatments
  • Improved appetite and increased energy
  • Improved blood pressure
  • Less cramping with treatments
  • Fewer headaches
  • Less buildup of fluid

Expert care

If your doctor approves home dialysis, you will receive in-home training and expert follow-up care by a team of dedicated specialists:

  • Board-certified nephrologists
  • Nurse coordinators specialized in dialysis and home hemodialysis training
  • Social workers and dietitians

You are not alone

Patients who use home dialysis are still seen by their clinician at least once month to monitor health, at one of three area convenient locations – West County, South County or Central West End.

For more information on the Washington University home dialysis program, please call 314-286-0874.