Home Hemodialysis

What is hemodialysis?

Hemodialysis is a medical treatment that removes waste and fluid from the blood in those with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). 

During treatment, blood is removed from your body through a dialysis catheter in your arm, sent to the hemodialysis machine, cleaned by a dialyzer, and returned to your body. 

You may develop ESRD if you have a chronic kidney condition such as polycystic kidney disease (PKD). However, diabetes and high blood pressure are the most common causes of ESRD in the United States. 

Houston Kidney Specialists Center offers in-center and home hemodialysis. 

What is home hemodialysis?

Home hemodialysis allows you to perform your own dialysis treatments at home. During in-center hemodialysis, a nurse or technician performs your hemodialysis treatments.

With home hemodialysis, you perform all the steps normally conducted by the nurse or technician. The team at Houston Kidney Specialists Center provides comprehensive training before you start home hemodialysis. 

What are the types of home hemodialysis?

There are different techniques for performing home hemodialysis. The team at Houston Kidney Specialists Center discusses your treatment options and helps you determine the type of home hemodialysis that works best for you.

Conventional home hemodialysis

Conventional home hemodialysis is similar to in-center hemodialysis. During treatments, you perform hemodialysis three times a week for 3-4 hours. 

Short daily home hemodialysis

With short daily home hemodialysis, you perform treatments 5-7 days a week for two hours. You may experience fewer side effects such as fatigue or nausea with short daily home hemodialysis because the treatment removes smaller amounts of fluid during each session. 

Nocturnal home hemodialysis

During nocturnal home hemodialysis, you perform your dialysis at night while you sleep. Treatments are slow and take 6-8 hours. Your nephrologist may recommend you conduct your nocturnal home hemodialysis six nights a week or every other night, depending on your needs. 

How do I start home hemodialysis?

The team at Houston Kidney Specialists Center works closely with you to determine if home hemodialysis is a good choice for you. Before you start your home treatments, they provide several weeks of on-site training for you and your care partner. 

Home hemodialysis may help you feel more in control of your health. To schedule a consultation to learn more about your hemodialysis treatment options, call Houston Kidney Specialists Center, or book online today.