VillageHealth | Treatment Options | We're in this together

Over time, kidneys may lose their ability to filter out toxins and extra fluid. If kidney damage is far enough along (kidney failure), treatment is needed to do your kidneys’ job.

As you start thinking about treatment, talk with your doctor to decide what is important to you and which option is best for you.

Types of Treatment

There are two types of kidney failure treatments: transplant and dialysis.

A transplant replaces your failed kidney with a healthy one via surgery.

Dialysis (peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis) does the work of your kidneys to clean and remove extra fluid from your blood.

Treatment Options

What is a kidney transplant?

You might choose a transplant because:

What is PD?

PD uses the lining of your abdomen (belly) and a cleaning fluid called dialysate to clean your blood. Blood never leaves your body.
Dialysate is added to your belly through a tube. When done cleaning, the dialysate is emptied out through the same tube.
PD is most commonly prescribed as a daily treatment.

*The prescribing physician will determine the required treatment frequency and duration based on medical necessity.

You might choose PD because:

You can be trained to do it at home instead of in a clinic.
You may have more food and beverage options.
You don’t need to use needles.
Your treatment schedule is more ﬂexible than other dialysis choices (potentially making work, activities and travel easier to do). You can even do most of your treatment overnight while you sleep.
Home dialysis may help your kidneys work for longer, if you have residual kidney function.
Treating every day may give you more energy than other dialysis options.¹

What is HDD?

HHD is done three to six** times a week and can sometimes be done while you sleep.
HHD uses needles to access your blood and a machine to clean and return it to your body.
With HHD, you may need a care partner to help you. But you can do it alone if allowed by your doctor.***

**Your kidney doctor will determine the required treatment frequency and duration based on medical necessity. Although HHD is often prescribed with a more frequent schedule, the doctor must evaluate the patient’s clinical needs and consider potential benefits and risks.

***Check with your kidney doctor and dialysis provider for details regarding each treatment option based on your personal needs and requirements.

You might choose HDD because:

You and a care partner can be trained can do it at home instead of in a clinic.
You may have more food and beverage options.
Your treatment schedule is more ﬂexible than other dialysis choices (potentially making work, activities and travel easier to do).
Treating more often than in a clinic may give you more energy.****

****While there could be potential quality of life and physiological benefits to more frequent dialysis, there is also risk of an increase in vascular access procedures and hypotension.

What is ICHD?

You might choose ICHD because:

What is SNF dialysis?

You might choose SNF dialysis because:

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Comparing Dialysis Treatments

Use the chart below to compare possible benefits of each type of dialysis. Remember, it’s common for people to change treatments as their lifestyle and health changes. Talk with your doctor and VillageHealth care team to decide on the best option for you.

	Peritoneal Dialysis	Home Dialysis	In-Center Hemodialysis	Skilled Nursing Facility Dialysis
General
More flexible treatment schedule	More flexible treatment schedule – Yes	More flexible treatment schedule – Yes
Technicians and nurses give you treatment			Technicians and nurses give you treatment – Yes	Technicians and nurses give you treatment – Yes
No needles during treatment	No needles during treatment – Yes
No supplies needed at home			No supplies needed at home – Yes	No supplies needed at home – Yes
No care partner needed	No care partner needed – Yes		No care partner needed – Yes	No care partner needed – Yes
Time
Fewer visits to dialysis center (monthly vs. 3 days/week) after initial training	Fewer visits to dialysis center (monthly vs. 3 days/week) after initial training – Yes	Fewer visits to dialysis center (monthly vs. 3 days/week) after initial training – Yes		Fewer visits to dialysis center (monthly vs. 3 days/week) after initial training – Yes
You may not need daily treatments. Check with your kidney doctor about frequency.	You may not need daily treatments. Check with your kidney doctor about frequency. – Yes	You may not need daily treatments. Check with your kidney doctor about frequency. – Yes		You may not need daily treatments. Check with your kidney doctor about frequency. – Yes
Shorter recovery after treatment²	Shorter recovery after treatment2 – Yes	Shorter recovery after treatment2 – Yes
Lifestyle
More food and beverage options	More food and beverage options – Yes	More food and beverage options – Yes
Getting to know people at dialysis center			Getting to know people at dialysis center – Yes	Getting to know people at dialysis center – Yes
More independence and easier travel	More independence and easier travel – Yes	More independence and easier travel – Yes		More independence and easier travel – Yes
Health
Better sleep³	Better sleep3 – Yes	Better sleep3 – Yes
Better blood pressure control⁴	Better blood pressure control4 – Yes	Better blood pressure control4 – Yes
Better ability to preserve remaining kidney function⁵	Better ability to preserve remaining kidney function5 – Yes
Future
Helps body’s condition for transplant success⁶	Helps body’s condition for transplant success6 – Yes

Palliative Care

Some people do not feel able to continue full dialysis treatment. In this case, patients can receive palliative care. Palliative care provides patients with a lower-intensity dialysis that focuses on quality of life and symptom control. It can be provided at home, an assisted living facility, hospital or specialty facility.

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1 Raimann J, et al. The Effect of Increased Frequency of Hemodialysis on Volume-Related Outcomes: A Secondary Analysis of the Frequent Hemodialysis Network Trials. Blood Purif 2016;41:277-286. doi: 10.1159/000441966. 2 Jaber BL, et al. Effect of daily hemodialysis on depressive symptoms and post dialysis recovery time: interim report from the FREEDOM (Following Rehabilitation, Economics and Everyday-Dialysis Outcome Measurements) Study. Am J Kidney Dis. 2010;56(3):531-539. 3 Kotanko, P, et al. Effects of frequent hemodialysis on blood pressure: Results from the randomized frequent hemodialysis network trials. Hemodial Int. 2015 Jul;19(3):386-401. doi: 10.1111/hdi.12255. 4 Finkelstein FO et al. Kidney Int. 2012;82(5):561-9. 5 Preserving Residual Kidney Function: Consider Home Dialysis First 6 PD: Molnar, MZ et al. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 7: 332–341, 2012. HHD: Weinhandl, E et al. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2012 May; 23(5):895–904. PD: Nardelli L, et al. Peritoneal Dialysis for Potential Kidney Transplant Recipients: Pride or Prejudice? Medicina (Kaunas). 2022 Feb 1;58(2):214. doi: 10.3390/medicina58020214. PMID: 35208541; PMCID: PMC8875254. HHD: Molnar, MZ et al. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 7: 332–341, 2012. HHD: Weinhandl, E et al. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2012 May; 23(5):895–904.

Service provider and modality selection are choices made exclusively between the patient and nephrologist. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.