WHAT IS PERITONEAL DIALYSIS?
Peritoneal dialysis (PD) uses a special solution (dialysate) and your own peritoneal membrane – the lining of your abdomen – as a filter to purify your blood and remove excess fluid. This method is the same as that used by the kidneys which continuously remove fluid from your body. HOW DOES PERITONEAL DIALYSIS WORK? A PD catheter is placed in the abdomen during surgery and is used to access the peritoneal membrane and allow dialysis to be performed. A special solution (dialysate, also called dialysis solution) is placed in the abdomen through the PD catheter and is in contact with the peritoneal membrane. The waste products and body fluids present in the blood then pass through the peritoneal membrane (the filter) and enter the solution. Waste and excess water present in the blood are absorbed into the solution by diffusion and osmosis. The used dialysis solution is then drained through the PD catheter and collected in a bag provided for this purpose. This process is then re...