Dialysis

Dialysis services at Guthrie are provided in the leading edge Paul Gerry Dialysis Center at Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital, six days a week. Guthrie’s team of nephrologists, nursing personnel, social workers and dieticians provide the only dialysis center in the area that offers home hemodialysis.

Two types of dialysis conditions are:

Hemodialysis

Hemodialysis is a method for removing waste products such as salts and fluids from a patient’s blood when the kidneys can no longer do the job adequately. A patient will often be on a strict diet and may have to take medications. This can be delivered in the hospital or home setting. Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital is the only dialysis center in the region to provide home hemodialysis.

Peritoneal Dialysis

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is the most common method of home dialysis. Peritoneal dialysis is another method for removing waste products from a patient’s blood when the kidneys can no longer do the job adequately. PD is different from hemodialysis in how it cleans the body of waste products. PD does not require access to the patient’s blood like hemodialysis, and patients are not required to take the medications and adhere to a strict diet that are necessary with hemodialysis.

An increasing number of people with kidney disease are turning to home dialysis. Not only does this practice save patients hassle and time, but studies are finding that those who do home dialysis also do more frequent cleansings, which can lead to better overall health.