In order for a dialysis machine to clean excess fluid or waste material from a person's blood, the patient needs to be connected to the machine, usually for several hours, three times a week. This connection, or fistula, is often made in the patient's arm, where an artery is surgically connected to a vein. Learn more about this access point, or AV fistula, and how it works, by watching this program.
Chronic Kidney Disease, or CKD, happens when your kidneys are no longer fully able to clean waste products and fluid from the blood. CKD can be caused by several things, including high blood pressure, diabetes, injury and genetic problems. As CKD worsens, it can result in kidney failure where dialysis or a kidney transplant are required in order to survive. Learn how following a management plan can help slow the progression of CKD.
More than 600,000 Americans have End Stage Renal Disease, where their kidneys only function at 15% of normal. At this stage of kidney disease, a patient must go on dialysis or receive a kidney transplant in order to survive. This program will explain what ESRD looks like and will offer suggestions for transitioning into this stage of chronic kidney disease.
