Kidney Disease

Frequently Asked Questions

14. What is dialysis and how is it used to treat kidney failure?

Click to enlarge image

Dialysis is a treatment to filter wastes and water from your blood. There are two major forms of dialysis: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. In hemodialysis, blood is run through an external filter and the clean blood is returned to the body. Hemodialysis is usually done at a dialysis center three times a week. Each session usually lasts between three and four hours. (Answer continues on next page.)