Dialysis

Learn more about kidney dialysis below.

Kidneys are vital organs. They keep you healthy by:

• Removing waste products and excess fluid from the blood
• Controlling your blood pressure
• Making red blood cells
• Maintaining strong and healthy bones

Chronic kidney disease is a process during which kidney tissue is destroyed over a long period of time. Most people are unaware of their kidney’s reducing function until close to 90% of the function has been lost. Symptoms can include fluid retention, tiredness, headaches, poor memory and concentration, irritability, sleep disturbances, restless legs, itchiness, loss of appetite, nausea and weight loss. Treatments available (also known as ‘renal replacement therapy’) comprise dialysis and kidney transplantation.

Regarding dialysis, there are two forms of dialysis – haemodialysis (conducted by the patient at home or by nursing staff at a hospital facility) and peritoneal dialysis (conducted by the patient at home). Both types filter blood to remove waste products, excess salt and water, which the failed kidneys cannot do anymore.

Donate Life is an Australian Government strategy to increase community engagement and awareness in relation to organ and tissue donation. For information about Donate Life, click here.

Nephrology

Nephrology – a medical specialty concerned with the kidneys and especially with their structure, functions, and diseases.

To go to the Nephrology home page, click here

Additional information

Renal Dietetics

Dietitians educate people to select foods that will help them achieve and maintain health. They help clients manage medical conditions through diet and exercise as nutritional management is an indispensable option to help reduce the risk of long term complications in kidney disease and renal replacement therapy.

Food and fluid management are an important part of a nephrology patient’s treatment and patients are encouraged to see a dietitian at least once every six months as a dietitian helps patients to control the level of potassium and phosphate in the blood, prevent fluid overload and assess patient diets to prevent protein malnutrition, which is common in dialysis patients.

Dietitians can ensure that the following conditions can be minimised and controlled:

• Anorexia
• Bloating
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Coronary artery disease
• Diabetes
• Dyslipidaemia
• Early satiety
• Gastroparesis
• Hypoalbuminemia
• Hypertension
• Malnutrition
• Nausea
• Obesity
• Onset and the progression of cardiovascular disease
• Reduced tolerance to glucose
• Steroid induced diabetes and hyperlipidaemia
• Stroke
• Weight gain

Dietetics department contact numbers

Casey – 8768 13874
Clayton – 9594 4180
Cranbourne – 5990 6789
Dandenong – 9554 8101
Moorabbin – 9928 8263

Contact information