What kidneys do
Healthy kidneys:
- clean your blood;
- make hormones that keep your bones strong and your blood healthy.
When they fail
When your kidneys fail, you need treatment to do their work. Unless you have a kidney transplant, that treatment is dialysis.
Two main types
Both filter your blood to rid your body of harmful wastes, extra salt and water.
| Type | How it works | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Hemodialysis | a machine filters your blood — sometimes called an artificial kidney | usually a special clinic, several times a week |
| Peritoneal dialysis | the lining of your abdomen — the peritoneal membrane — filters your blood | — |
Sources
Based on the MedlinePlus health topic "Dialysis," National Library of Medicine, with content from the NIH's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from medlineplus.gov
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