Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse
A service of the National Institue of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases |
Hemodialysis |
Peritoneal Dialysis |
Kidney Transplantation |
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In Center |
Home |
CAPD |
CCPD |
Deceased |
Living |
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Schedule |
Three treatments a week for 3 to 5 hours or more. |
More flexibility in determining your schedule of treatments. |
Four to six exchanges a day, every day. |
Three to five exchanges a night, every night, with an additional exchange begun first thing in the morning. |
You may wait several years before a suitable kidney is available. |
If a friend or family member is donating, you can schedule the operation when you’re both ready. |
After the operation, you’ll have regular checkups with your doctor. |
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Location |
Dialysis center. |
Home. |
Any clean environment that allows solution exchanges. |
The transplant operation takes place in a hospital. |
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Availability |
Available in most communities; may require travel in some rural areas. |
Generally available, but not widely used because of equipment requirements. |
Widely available. |
Widely available. |
Transplant centers are located throughout the country. However, the demand for kidneys is far greater than the supply. |
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Equipment and Supplies |
No equipment or supplies in the home. |
Hemodialysis machine connected to plumbing; chair. |
Bags of dialysis solution take up storage space. |
Cycling machine; bags of dialysis solution. |
No equipment or supplies needed. |
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Training Required |
Little training required; clinic staff perform most tasks. |
You and a helper must attend several training sessions. |
You’ll need to attend several training sessions. |
You’ll need to learn about your medications and when to take them. |
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Diet |
Must limit fluids, sodium, potassium, and phosphorus. |
Must limit sodium and calories. |
Fewer dietary restrictions. |
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Level of Freedom |
Little freedom during treatments. Greater freedom on nontreatment days. |
More freedom to set your own schedule. You’re still linked to a machine for several hours a week. |
You can move around, exercise, work, drive, etc., with solution in your abdomen. |
You’re linked to a machine during the night. You’re free from exchanges during the day. |
Offers the greatest amount of freedom. |
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Level of Responsibility |
Some patients prefer to let clinic staff perform all tasks. |
You and your helper are responsible for cleaning and setting up equipment and monitoring vital signs. Can be stressful on family helpers. |
You must perform exchanges four to six times a day, every day. |
You must set up your cycler every night. |
You must take immunosuppressants every day for as long as the transplanted kidney functions. |
The NKUDIC Clearinghouse is a service of the National Institue of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH