What Is Nocturnal Dialysis?

Nocturnal dialysis is a medical procedure performed overnight to filter wastes from the kidneys and is used for those with severely impaired renal function. The patient is connected to an external machine that slowly removes the blood from the body, filters out the toxins, and returns the clean blood back into the bloodstream. Depending on the situation, this procedure may occur at home or in a clinical setting. Reported benefits of nocturnal dialysis include improved quality of life, better blood pressure control, and improved appetite. Questions or concerns about the use of nocturnal dialysis in an individual situation should be discussed with a kidney specialist such as a urologist or nephrologist.

Traditional dialysis is often needed several times per day and can take as long as eight hours. This grueling schedule often prevents the patient from spending quality time with family members or enjoying familiar activities. Nocturnal dialysis allows the blood to be filtered during sleep, thus providing much more freedom to enjoy life. Many people have reported feeling much better after this type of dialysis than when undergoing dialysis during the day. Blood pressure levels and blood chemistry tests often show signs of improvement as well.

In many cases, nocturnal dialysis is performed several times per week in a hospital or dialysis clinic. Round-the-clock nursing care is a benefit of sleeping at the clinic, as any problems with the machine can be corrected immediately while the patient sleeps. Several dialysis patients may sleep in a common area, allowing for communication with others who share similar health concerns. This benefit can be particularly helpful to those who live alone or do not have a healthy support system.

It may be possible for some patients to undergo nocturnal dialysis at home, adding to the relaxation, comfort, and convenience of night-time treatments. Patients who may be considered for home dialysis include those with chronic kidney disease, people are not medically eligible for transplant, or patients who are morbidly obese. Before being approved for nocturnal dialysis at home, the patient and one caregiver are usually required to spend a few days or weeks in a training facility so the medical team can be assured that proper procedures can be followed. In order to determine which method of nocturnal dialysis is the most appropriate for an individual situation, the patient should make a list of all questions and concerns before scheduling an appointment with the supervising physician.