![kidney_g82d1bbc68_1920.jpg](https://images.ecency.com/DQmUPjLkTUTMwo6Ch2mFwFQpWCb1YZUTKujzkcJDdAWBfw8/kidney_g82d1bbc68_1920.jpg)


 

Works Cited

Pixabay

https://www.davita.com/treatment-services/dialysis/in-center-hemodialysis/how-does-a-dialysis-machine-work#:~:text=The%20dialysis%20machine%20mixes%20and,is%20outside%20of%20your%20body.

https://www.kidney.org/patients/peers/dialysis

https://www.healio.com/news/nephrology/20220415/video-transition-costs-are-high-when-patients-switch-from-pd-to-hhd

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/19/health/kidney-transplant-pig-human.html#:~:text=Although%20the%20kidney%20was%20not,through%20pig%20vessels%2C%20experts%20said.



Dialysis is the process of removing waste products from the blood using a medical machine.  A technician with a dialysis machine conducts a treatment called “hemodialysis”, in which the blood is filtered through balancing and cleaning liquids called “dialysate”.  Issues exist for patients who undergo the treatment, and in-home treatment comes with increased time availability, but also increased cost. 

Dialysis treatment is usually the result of kidney failure.  During dialysis, the blood is filtered for waste products through a dialyzer.  The dialysis machine pushes the blood through an acid solution and then a basic solution containing balancing electrolytes.  The resultant mixture is called the dialysate, which contains the acid, basic and waste liquids.  In essence, the dialysis machine stands in for the failed kidneys until a donor can be found.  A technician is responsible for the machine’s operation and safety, which is essential during the run time of the dialysis machine.  Air can enter the machine itself, and the machine must be monitored to ensure that proper mixing and electrolyte balance is maintained.  

A big downside to dialysis treatment is the time commitment.  In-office clinical treatments can take 3-5 visits a week and can run up to 3-hours per treatment.  The technician must be onsite and heavily involved, as many hazards exist to the individual being dialyzed. 

Home dialysis treatment is an answer to many of the issues that in-clinic treatment presents.  In recent years, patients have made the transition to home-dialysis, but problems persist.  In-home treatment has the downside of increased cost.  Home dialysis transition is costly, and often entails purchasing training and equipment.  When you buy into home dialysis, you are buying more time to enjoy life.

The underlying root cause of kidney failure that requires dialysis is often dialysis or advanced kidney disease.  Last year, 23,000 Americans received a kidney transplant, which is the most commonly transplanted organ by far.  Almost 40,000 Americans received an organ transplant in 2021, and finding donors is always a problem.  Dialysis is a stand in for kidney function, and xenotransplantation is a potential fix.  Xenotransplantation is the cultivation of human organs grown in genetically modified animals.  You can read my recent article on xenotransplantation at the link:

 https://ecency.com/stem/@truth2/xenotransplantation-first-human-recipient-of

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