Cheaper peritoneal dialysis as safe as hemodialysis, research says

By Mary Ann Roser | Thursday, March 3, 2011, 02:33 PM

New research says that less costly peritoneal dialysis causes no more infections than hemodialysis and is much easier on the body.

The study, done by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, found no increased risk of catheter infections and greater flexibility for patients on peritoneal dialysis.

Peritoneal dialysis involves inserting a catheter, or tube, into the abdomen to sweep away wastes produced by the kidneys. It can be done at home, while the person sleeps. In hemodialysis, which is done at a dialysis center, the waste products are filtered from the blood and the cleansed blood is returned to the body. The catheter is placed in the person’s arm.

“Patients actually survive better on peritoneal dialysis, have a better quality of life and the procedure is cheaper,” Dr. Ramesh Saxena, at right, an associate professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern and a senior author of the study, said in a news release on the school’s website. “Factors such as obesity, age and previous abdominal surgeries should not be considered as barriers in selecting patients for peritoneal dialysis.”

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