End Stage Renal Disease (Dialysis)
Dialysis Specialist in New Jersey
Things You Need to Know About Renal Failure and Dialysis
Dialysis is a process used to treat patients whose kidneys are no longer working properly. It involves a special machine and tubing that removes blood from the body, cleanses it of waste and extra fluid and then returns it back to the body.
To undergo dialysis, a physician first creates access to a patient’s blood vessel using one of three methods:
- A Fistula, which is made by joining together an artery and vein to make a bigger high-flow blood vessel.
- A Graft, in which a soft plastic tube is placed between an artery and a vein, creating an artificial high-flow blood vessel.
- Catheter access, in which a narrow plastic tube is inserted into a large vein in the neck or groin.
Additional Information
When fistulas and grafts become clogged or narrowed, which can prevent a patient from undergoing successful dialysis, interventional radiologists use image-guided interventions to solve the problem:
Catheter-directed thrombolysis, which dissolves blood clots that build up in fistulas and grafts by injecting a medicine.
Angioplasty and stenting, which uses mechanical devices, such as a balloon, to open fistulas and grafts and helps them remain open with a small implantable wire mesh tube called a stent.
Take a look at the common risks, predispositions, and signs/symptoms, then read up on some of the testing and procedures the Pulse Vascular Specialists can perform for you using comfortable,minimally invasive, state-of-the-art equipment and techniques:
Causes
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Heart Attack
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Infection
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Use of some pain relievers (like aspirin and ibuprofen)
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Kidney Inflammation
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Severe Burns
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Dehydration
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Anaphylaxis
Risk Factors
- Smoking
- Aging (most common over the age of 50)
- Obesity
- Race (more prevalent in Hispanics and African Americans)
- Excess exposure to some toxins
Predispositions
- Diabetes
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Existing Heart Disease
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Kidney Disease
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Liver Disease
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Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)
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Sickle Cell disease
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Excess Blood Cholesterol
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Lupus and other autoimmune disorders
Disease Symptoms
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Confusion
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Lethargy
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Shortness of breath
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Blood in the urine
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Anemia
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Insomnia
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Fatigue
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Edema of the arms (swelling)
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Prolonged Bleeding
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Increase Pressures at Dialysis
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Acute or Chronic Thrombosis
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Reduced Quality of Dialysis
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Difficult Cannulation Central Venous Occlusion (CVO)
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Maturation Difficulty
Treatments
Angioplasty and Stenting
Thrombolysis or Thrombectomy
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