Peritoneal dialysis (PD)
Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is the second type of dialysis treatment for kidney failure. It involves the use of a fluid that is put in your belly and then removed to clean your blood.
PD involves that you fill an area of your belly with a cleaning fluid called dialysate. The dialysate uses the lining that covers most of the organs in your belly, called the peritoneum, to serve as a filter for the dialysis process.
You have to let the dialysate sit in your belly for a period of time while it cleans your blood. This period is called “dwell time”. After the dwell time, you will drain the used dialysate out of your belly and refill your belly with fresh dialysate. This whole process of draining and refilling is called the exchange. Each exchange (drain and refill) usually takes 30–40 minutes. You may do these exchanges yourself or with the help of a machine. Your doctor will tell you how many exchanges you should do.