Peritoneal dialysis
Dialysis is a procedure to remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood when the kidneys stop working properly. Normally, the kidneys filter the blood, removing harmful waste products and excess fluid as urine. When when the kidneys are not functioning adequately, the waste products and water accumulate in the body. If chosen, dialysis can be used to help.
There are two main types of dialysis: haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis (PD). Peritoneal dialysis uses the inside lining of your abdomen (the peritoneum) as the filter, rather than a machine (haemodialysis). Like the kidneys, the peritoneum contains thousands of tiny blood vessels, making it a very useful filtering device.
Information and about us
Before peritoneal dialysis can start, you need to have a special tube called a Tenchkoff catheter inserted into your abdomen. This is done under a general anaesthetic and two incisions are made. One is under your belly button, the other is near your hip. This allows the tube to be tunnelled under the skin and into the peritoneal cavity. It can then exit the body on either your right or left hand side. This tube then stays there permanently, unless removal is required.
With the support of the PD education team, you and your family members are taught to drain fluid in and out of your peritoneal cavity at certain times of day (usually breakfast, lunch teatime and before going to bed). Exchanging the fluid usually takes about 30 to 40 minutes. It is also possible to have this treatment performed by a machine overnight whilst you sleep, if that would suit you better.
Peritoneal dialysis can be done quite easily at home, but it needs to be done every day. You can also (with planning) travel both in the United Kingdom or abroad on PD. It’s this independence and freedom which makes this therapy option appealing to certain patients.
Our community renal specialist nurses are here to help. They build up a partnership with each patient to help them with their treatment. This has enabled the RD&E's renal unit to establish a significant PD programme, where patients can stay on a treatment of their choice.
Contact us
PD Nurse Specialist
Telephone: 01392 402518
Assistant practitioners and healthcare assistants
Telephone: 01392 402518 (voicemail is available)
Office hours
8.30am - 4.30pm, Monday – Friday. This excludes Bank holidays.
In the case of emergencies or out of hours
Please contact Creedy Ward on 01392 402590 / 402591
Where to find us
Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Wonford)
Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Wonford)
Barrack Road
Exeter
EX2 5DW
The Kidney Unit, Ground floor, Room S41.
We will offer home training for both CAPD and APD, wherever possible.
PD clinics are held by a consultant every three months at the RD&E site.
Nurse specialist clinics are held in each of the clinical nurse specialist areas, usually in a satellite unit. This might include the main renal unit at Exeter, depending on where you live.
Meet the team
PD Nurse Specialist, Assistant Practitioners and Health Care Assistants
Services and treatments
Peritoneal dialysis treatments include:
- CAPD (Continues Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis) - up to 5 exchanges each day
- APD (Automated Peritoneal Dialysis) - overnight PD machine
- AAPD (Assisted Automated Peritoneal Dialysis). There is limited access to this service, but if certain criteria are met then support is offered from the PD Team at the RDE by our specialist Assistant Practitioners or Healthcare Assistants. They will visit your home each day to support your PD needs.
We offer home training and hospital training, depending on your situation. It can take up to a week for you to get used to carrying out your own treatments. An assistant practitioner or healthcare assistant will be on hand to teach you to do CAPD or APD, depending on your choice.
After you have been on treatment for about four months, we offer a refresher course in your home.
Supporting you
The Exeter Kidney Unit has a psychologist who works two days a week. We also have connections with Talkworks. Both can help patients deal with the emotional difficulties associated with long term health conditions.
We also have a very active Kidney Patients Association (KPA) who are always willing to help were they can. You can also become an active member of the KPA.
For more information on the Exeter KPA please contact:
Jean Aplin
13 Crowden Crescent,
Tiverton,
Devon.
EX16 4ET
Tel : 01884 254260
Patient information leaflets
We produce a wide range of leaflets which provide information about our services and about the treatment you might receive in our clinics or during your stay in hospital.
We also produce these in different formats including large print, please contact the department you are visiting for more information.
Useful videos
We have a wide range of videos which provide information about our services and about the treatment you might receive in our clinics or during your stay in hospital.