Department of Nephrology

Apollo Dialysis Unit

 When is Dialysis Used?

Dialysis is primarily used as renal replacement therapy to provide an artificial replacement for lost kidney function due to renal failure. Dialysis may be used for very sick patients who have suddenly but temporarily, lost their kidney function (acute renal failure) or for quite stable patients who have permanently lost their kidney function (stage 5 chronic kidney disease). For patients with stage 5 or End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD), the decline in kidney function occurs over a period of months to years until a level is reached at which treatment is needed for survival. The best available treatment for ESKD is a kidney transplant; however, some patients are not good candidates for a transplant due to medical or other reasons, some cannot receive a transplant because of the short supply of donor kidneys, and others simply decide that a transplant is not the best option for them. As a result, most patients with ESKD must rely on dialysis to replace the water and waste removal functions of the healthy kidneys; though dialysis is an imperfect treatment to replace kidney function because it does not correct the endocrine functions of the kidney.

Dialysis at Apollo Hospitals Dhaka

There are two primary types of dialysis, hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Apollo Hospitals Dhaka at present with 10 single hemodialysis machines is providing support to the patients on out-patient and in-patient basis. Among others there are portable machines used for dialysis of patients at their bed side and also dedicated machines for patients who have identified infectious diseases like Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and others. In Apollo Dialysis Unit the dialyser machines are disinfected with sodium chloride and auto rinse cleaning system after completion of each dialysis cycle. For patients who have very low diastolic blood pressure even less than 60mm Hg, Continued Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT) is also practiced at their bed side.

In Apollo Dialysis Unit, before the procedure, patients are screened for infectious disease like Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C or HIV. If diagnosed positive then dialysis machines specific for infection positive patients are used.

How does Dialysis work?

Hemodialysis removes wastes and water by circulating blood outside the body through an external filter, called a dialyzer that contains a semipermeable membrane. The blood flows in one direction and the dialysate (special dialysis fluid) flows in the opposite; the counter-current flow of the blood and dialysate helps to remove more urea and creatinine from the blood. The undesirably high blood concentrations of potassium, phosphorus, and urea) are constantly replaced by dialysis solution having levels of minerals like potassium and calcium that similar to the natural concentration of healthy blood.

In peritoneal dialysis, wastes and water are removed from the blood inside the body using the peritoneal membrane as a natural semipermeable membrane into a special dialysis solution, called dialysate, in the abdominal cavity which has a composition similar to the fluid portion of blood.

Peritoneal dialysis works slower than hemodialysis, but because it is carried out for a longer period of time the net effect in terms of removal of waste products and of salt and water are similar to hemodialysis. Peritoneal dialysis can be carried out at home by the patient. Although support is helpful, it is not essential. It does free patients from the routine of having to go to a dialysis clinic on a fixed schedule multiple times per week, and it can be done while traveling with a minimum of specialized equipment.

Apollo Dialysis Unit

Apollo Dialysis Unit has dedicated skilled nurses and technicians and is open from 7am to 11pm every day of the week. With high level of experience and skill, the medical and nursing staff keeps the patients under dialysis under close observation and monitoring under direct supervision and follow-up of Consultant Nephrology.