What Is Hemodialysis?

Due to the inability of the kidneys to perform their functions, substances such as urea, creatinine, phosphorus and potassium increase in the blood level. While these substances, which are harmful to the body, are normally excreted in the urine, this procedure is performed with the help of a dialysis machine with the hemodialysis method in patients with chronic kidney failure.

Hemodialysis is the procedure in which the patient's dirty blood is cleaned by taking it into the dialysis machine and then the blood is given to the patient again. Blood taken from the patient using a fistula, graft or catheter is passed through capillary filters called dialyzers inside the dialysis machine.

Toxic substances that need to be removed from the body are mixed with the dialysis fluid on the outside of the filters, or in other words, dialysis, and thus removed from the blood.

After the filtration process, the blood is balanced in terms of fluid and solute content and given to the patient intravenously. How many sessions of hemodialysis should be performed per week, the duration of the session, the dialyser and dialysate used during dialysis are determined by the physician according to the physiological needs of the patient.

Who is undergoing hemodialysis and what are the symptoms?
In patients who develop chronic renal failure for different reasons, the number of nephrons, the smallest functional unit of the kidney, decreases irreversibly. Due to the inability of the kidneys to function properly, the body's water, electrolyte and pH balance is disrupted.

This life-threatening condition is regulated by the hemodialysis method. Therefore, hemodialysis is a widely applied method to meet the needs of chronic kidney patients waiting to be treated with kidney transplantation. In addition, hemodialysis can be applied in cases of acute renal failure where the kidneys are temporarily unable to perform their duties.

People with chronic kidney failure should visit their doctor regularly. Thus, it can be easily determined how often and for how long the patient should undergo hemodialysis. It is also determined what type of dialyzer the patient needs and at what speed the blood and dialysate should circulate in the dialysis device during treatment.

Patients with chronic renal failure must report these symptoms to a physician if they show the following symptoms:

Swelling in the legs
Low or high pulse
Loss of consciousness or impairment
Fatigue and weakness
Shortness of breath
Nausea
Hiccup
Appetite or weight loss
Sleep disorders

How Do Hemodialysis Procedures Progress?

In the hemodialysis process, dialysis machines made for this purpose are used. The machines receive water that is cleaned with special systems located in the dialysis center. The density of the minerals in the dialysis water is arranged in such a way that the waste materials accumulated in the patient are removed and the missing minerals are passed to the patient.

The blood taken from the patient circulates through the pump in the dialysis machine. Dialysis membranes are used to ensure the exchange between blood and dialysis. These membranes are made in the form of a system of hollow tubes, from which blood and dialysis water pass in opposite directions to each other. The blood that is cleaned in this way is given to the patient again.

What Are The Benefits of Hemodialysis?

Duties of dialysis when the kidneys are unable to perform their functions
Removing waste, salt and excess water to prevent them from accumulating in the body
Keeping certain chemicals in your blood, such as potassium, sodium and bicarbonate, at a safe level
Helping to control blood pressure
Dialysis is successfully performed in Yücelen Hospitals and in our Ortaca Dialysis Center.