Sustaining lives through dialysis

A healthy, balanced diet plus enough water is all it takes for normal people to keep their kidneys working well. However, for people with end-stage renal disease, undergoing dialysis treatment becomes absolutely necessary to replace the critical function of their impaired kidneys, and thus, sustain their lives.

Healthy kidneys filter extra water, mineral and toxins in the blood. However, certain conditions like diabetes and hypertension can damage the kidneys, making them incapable of performing their essential functions. This leads to build-up of wastes in the bloodstream, which can cause permanent and irreversible damage to the body cells.

At this point, affected patients can only improve their condition by undergoing dialysis treatment. About 80 percent of kidney patients undergo hemodialysis, a type of dialysis that works by circulating the blood through special filters to remove wastes and fluid from the blood.

Aside from this, hemodialysis also aids in maintaining a safe level of certain electrolytes in the blood such as potassium, sodium and bicarbonate. It also helps control the patient’s blood pressure.

At the start of the treatment, a vein and an artery in the arm are surgically located. This is known as a fistula, which allows easy insertion of a needle into the artery to draw out blood and another needle into the vein to return the cleaned blood. In turn, these needles are attached to plastic tubings leading to a special filter called dialyzer, which is made up of membranes that facilitate separation of essential fluids and nutrients from waste products in the blood.

The cleaned blood is then carried on through and returned safely to the body. Normally, a good hemodialysis session takes about four hours to complete and is usually done two to three times a week.

Dialysis significantly helps in improving and prolonging the lives of kidney patients. Healthway Medical Clinics, the country’s biggest chain of outpatient medical centers, offers superior dialysis care at reasonable rates.

Healthway’s Kidney Clinic is furnished with state-of-the-art dialysis machines and facilities to ensure better and safer treatment. In addition, Healthway’s highly trained nephrologists and nurses provide valuable assistance in making the treatment as comfortable as possible. Patients can also enjoy free use of an ambulance to transport them within a five-kilometer radius of the clinic’s location.

Visit Healthway’s Kidney Clinic at 2F, Ayala Life building, Ayala Avenue, Makati City, or at Basement Level, Annex building, SM North Edsa, Quezon City. For details, call Noreen Arellano at 892-3731, 814-0679 or 814-0691.