Dialysis Treatment Options

Dialysis can be done 

• In a hospital 
• In a dialysis center
• In other medical facilities 
• At home 

You and your doctor will decide which place is best, based on your medical condition and your wishes. 

At a dialysis center, hemodialysis is typically done 3 times per week. Each treatment lasts about 3 to 5 hours. 

At home, people do their hemodialysis treatments about 4 to 7 days per week. Each treatment lasts about 3 to 4 hours. 

If your kidney disease was caused by sudden or acute kidney injury, you may need dialysis for only a short time until your kidneys get better. 

Patients who receive a kidney transplant no longer need dialysis for as long as their new kidney is working effectively. 

People on hemodialysis typically need to eat more protein and limit potassium, phosphorous, sodium, and fluid in their diet. People who have diabetes or high blood pressure may need other changes to their diet as well. Be sure to talk to your dietician or provider about the type of diet you need. 

Some research suggests that home dialysis is linked to 

• Better results and health outcome because dialysis is done more often 
• Improvement in some of the symptoms that dialysis patients often have, such as cramping, nausea, trouble sleeping, and loss of energy 
• Better quality of life and ability to keep doing many of your normal activities