Dialysis Access

In some patients with kidney disease, their own kidneys are unable to adequately cleanse the blood and regulate the body’s homeostasis.

In these cases, dialysis is required. Dialysis is a process in which the toxins are removed and the electrolyte balance restored by a machine.

In order to perform this role, the dialysis machine requires access to the blood system. This may be achieved in a number of ways.

Access to the body can be achieved through a Tenckhoff catheter placed in the abdomen. This type of access requires more frequent dialysis of a different type.

Access directly to the blood can be achieved with a permacath, which is usually placed into the veins in the lower neck/upper chest. Despite its name, it is usually considered to be a temporary solution.

More permanent access to the blood stream can be achieved by forming an Arterio-Venous fistula. This is a direct connection between an arm artery and vein, which increases the flow and pressure of flow in the vein, allowing its use for dialysis.