What Is Peritoneal Dialysis?

Who It's Not Appropriate For

Peritoneal dialysis is not appropriate for every patient who needs treatment with dialysis. An individual who has widespread scarring in the abdominal area may not be able to have a catheter implanted. Because peritoneal dialysis depends on the semi-permeable peritoneal barrier, someone who has a hernia may not have a strong enough barrier to keep the solution from coming in contact with internal abdominal organs. Peritoneal dialysis requires a degree of responsibility and capability of the patient or a dedicated caregiver to ensure treatments are performed correctly and consistently. Many hours of training is required for both the patient and their caregiver to learn how to perform the treatments properly. Affected individuals who also have frequent diverticulitis or an inflammatory bowel disease may not be eligible to use peritoneal dialysis. Those who do not desire to perform the work associated with this type of treatment and would rather have it done by medical staff in a facility may choose to have hemodialysis instead.