Ask Dr Francisco: Kidney Dialysis

Hi, Pain is the main concern of patients opting for or considering haemodialysis. Indeed, the needle insertion can be painful. We can use creams with a painkiller to be applied on the area for needling beforehand to reduce the pain. Once the needle is in place, typically is not painful. The process of cleaning the blood by the dialysis machine is by itself not painful. Many patients do not feel any major symptoms but others can feel a little weak or drained during the dialysis session or after, which resolves by itself and after some rest.

Hi, Thank you for your question. The fees charged will depend whether you are doing it privately or obtaining government subsidies. For example, the fees for haemodialysis in the private sector can range from 200-500 dollars per session, depending if it is a satellite basic dialysis centre or a centre inside a private hospital with more comfort and other features and/or more capabilities to respond to emergencies. A centre located inside a private hospital will be more responsive to emergencies, than a centre in the local neighbourhood.

Hi, Thank you for your question. Chronic kidney disease includes different types of diseases of the kidneys, like diabetes, high blood pressure, different types of inflammation of the kidneys, allergies, urine flow problems, rare diseases, recurrent infections, etc. So, the treatment will be divided in a) specific treatment to control the original disease, b) to treat other accompanying conditions to minimize further damage to the kidneys, and c) other general strategies to try to prolong the life of the kidneys.

Hi, Not all patients with chronic kidney disease eventually need to undergo dialysis. Chronic kidney disease encompasses different disorders of the kidney. To mention some: diabetes, high blood pressure, different types of inflammation of the kidneys, allergies, urine flow problems, rare diseases, etc. Many of them can progress to kidney failure with consequent need for dialysis, but others not, especially if we detect them early and we treat them promptly.

Hi, Choosing between peritoneal dialysis and haemodialysis can be a difficult decision because there are many factors to consider and it is a significant event in patient’s life. There are patients who have medical contraindications for one therapy or for the other and therefore they do not have much choice, or patients that have certain medical conditions for which the doctors would recommend one therapy over the other one. Said that, most patients do have a choice.