Haemodialysis patients are restricted on how much fluid they can drink in between dialysis sessions. This is because the dialysis machine won’t be able to remove all the waste product if there’s too much fluid in the body.
Haemodialysis patients also need to watch their food intake, so minerals like sodium, potassium and phosphorus don’t build up to dangerously high levels between dialysis sessions.
Most patients require a dialysis session three times a week. Each session lasts for approximately four hours.
Haemodialysis patients may experience fatigue, nausea, dizziness, itchy skin and/or muscle cramps.
Some patients only need dialysis for a short time if they have temporary kidney failure.
If your kidney failure is chronic (i.e. end-stage kidney disease), you will likely need dialysis permanently unless you have a kidney transplant.
During peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own stomach acts as a natural filter. Toxins are taken out using dialysate, which the patient transfers in and out of their stomach through a tube.
Our dialysis team provides special training on how to carry out peritoneal dialysis at home. You must show you can perform each stage of the treatment properly before you can do this.
Changing the solution normally takes around 30-40 minutes. Once that’s happened, you’re free to go about your day as normal. The dialysis solution needs to be changed three to five times a day.
Peritoneal dialysis patients may experience fatigue. They may also be at risk of developing peritonitis, an infection of the membrane that surrounds the abdomen.
Before you can have dialysis at our clinic, the following documents and tests are required:
- A medical report from your doctor with a summary of your medical history
- Your haemodialysis prescription and flow sheets
- Your completed Bupa dialysis profile and consent forms
- Your latest blood test results for full blood count and biochemistry
- A blood test screening for HIV, hepatitis B and C
- An MRSA nasal swab on arrival and a multi-drug resistant screen
Please note that all blood tests and swabs must be dated within four weeks of travelling. It is also compulsory for patients outside of the European Union to have their hepatitis and HIV status re-checked upon arrival at the dialysis unit.
You can have longer-term holiday dialysis at our clinic. Patients staying more than two weeks or having six or more dialysis sessions are required to book an appointment with a renal specialist so that they can review your dialysis treatment plan, latest blood results, medications and overall health.
This is for patient safety, but also covers you in the unlikely event of a renal emergency while receiving dialysis at our clinic. This appointment will incur an additional fee.
Cromwell Hospital
164-178 Cromwell Road
London SW5 0TU
United Kingdom
+44 (0)20 7460 5700