Dialysis is a medical treatment used to artificially remove waste products and excess fluids from the blood when the kidneys are unable to perform this function adequately. It is commonly used to treat individuals with kidney failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), a condition in which the kidneys lose their ability to filter blood effectively.

There are two main types of dialysis:

1. **Hemodialysis**: In hemodialysis, blood is circulated outside the body through a dialysis machine (hemodialyzer), where it is filtered through a semipermeable membrane to remove waste products, excess fluids, and electrolytes. The dialysis machine contains a dialyzer, which consists of thousands of hollow fibers that act as the artificial kidney. Blood flows through one set of fibers, while a dialysate solution (a fluid with a composition similar to plasma but without waste products) flows through another set of fibers. Waste products and excess fluids pass from the blood into the dialysate solution across the membrane by diffusion and osmosis. Hemodialysis sessions typically last several hours and are performed multiple times per week at a dialysis center or at home under medical supervision.

2. **Peritoneal Dialysis**: In peritoneal dialysis, a sterile dialysis solution is introduced into the abdominal cavity through a catheter, where it dwells for a prescribed period (dwell time) before being drained out along with waste products and excess fluids. The peritoneum, a membrane lining the abdominal cavity, acts as the dialysis membrane, allowing waste products and excess fluids to pass from the blood vessels into the dialysis solution through diffusion and osmosis. Peritoneal dialysis can be performed manually (continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, CAPD) or with the assistance of a machine (automated peritoneal dialysis, APD). Patients typically perform peritoneal dialysis exchanges multiple times per day, either at home or in a healthcare facility.

Dialysis helps alleviate symptoms of kidney failure, such as fluid retention, electrolyte imbalances, and metabolic waste buildup, and improves overall well-being and quality of life. However, dialysis is not a cure for kidney failure and requires ongoing treatment to maintain adequate kidney function and manage complications. In some cases, dialysis may serve as a bridge to kidney transplantation, a surgical procedure in which a healthy kidney from a donor is transplanted into the recipient to restore kidney function permanently.

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