4 Benefits of Peritoneal Dialysis
When you choose PD with DaVita® dialysis, you're not just choosing a treatment; you're choosing the opportunity to potentially live a more independent life on dialysis. That's because PD may offer unique benefits that can help to improve your quality of life:
1. Potential for better control of your own treatment and a more flexible schedule
- You’re able to administer your own treatment, without relying on a care partner. But choosing PD doesn't mean you're on your own. Your care team is available 24/7 and dedicated to ongoing support.
- PD can be done with a machine (cycler) overnight or manually throughout the day. These treatments allow you to maintain an active lifestyle at home, at work, at school or while traveling.
- PD equipment can be shipped right to your home—or in many cases, even your travel destination. Your equipment supplier and DaVita Guest Services collaborate so you have your supplies when and where you need them.
- Needles are not required to perform PD. PD avoids the use of needles (to access veins) by using a soft, flexible catheter placed in the peritoneal cavity in the abdomen. This can make PD a good choice for children or those who dislike needles.
2. Potential for greater ability to pursue your personal interests
- Because PD is performed in the comfort of your home, you have the ability to schedule dialysis around your lifestyle. People who choose PD can continue to work, travel and may have more time for activities, friends and family.
- You’ll make fewer trips to the dialysis center. Once you're trained on PD, you will likely only need to visit the dialysis center once or twice a month for routine checkups, as opposed to four hours a day, three days a week as done for in-center dialysis.
- You’ll mostly likely have fewer dietary restrictions.1 With PD, toxins are removed daily, potentially allowing for a greater variety of food and drink options than you would have on hemodialysis. This can not only make life more enjoyable, but it can make sticking to a kidney diet easier. Your dietitian will work with you on your specific nutritional needs.
3. Potential for greater feeling of well-being
- There are shorter recovery times between treatments.2 PD's daily treatments more closely mimic your kidney's natural function, allowing for continuous, steady fluid balance which helps lead to shorter recovery times.
4. Potential for better health outcomes
- PD better preserves remaining kidney function than hemodialysis, and the continued ability to make urine leads to enhanced clinical outcomes.
- When patients feel better, they are better able to manage other complex health issues. This is one of the reasons PD patients may see more favorable transplant outcomes (including less complications after surgery).3
Deciding if PD is right for you
If you have end stage renal disease (ESRD) or believe that your chronic kidney disease may eventually lead to dialysis, ask your nephrologist (kidney doctor) about your treatment options, including PD.
Find a DaVita PD program
Are you interested in finding a PD program near you? Call DaVita Guest Services at 1-800-244-0582 or find a center with a home dialysis program nearest you.
Learn more about PD
1. Burkart JM, Golper TA, and Sheridan AM. Patient education: Peritoneal dialysis (Beyond the Basics). www.uptodate.com/contents/peritoneal-dialysis-beyond-the-basics. Updated Dec 8, 2015. Accessed July 17, 2017. 2. Renal Resource Center. An Introduction to Peritoneal Dialysis. www.renalresource.com. 3. Molnar, MZ et al. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 7: 332–341, 2012.
