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Nephrology

Haemodialysis

When your kidneys can no longer clean your blood, a dialysis machine does the job, usually three times a week, so you can get on with work and family life.

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Haemodialysis at Prakash Hospital, Nephrology
Session duration
About 4 hours
Frequency
Usually 3 times a week
Access
Fistula, graft or catheter
Hospital stay
None, you go home after each session
On this page

Overview

Healthy kidneys filter your blood many times a day, removing waste, extra salt and water. When they fail, all of that builds up. You feel exhausted and short of breath, your ankles and face swell, food stops appealing, and eventually the build-up becomes dangerous.

Haemodialysis takes over that filtering. Blood leaves your body through a needle or tube, passes through a filter called a dialyser, and comes back cleaned. Inside the dialyser, a fluid called dialysate draws waste and extra water out of your blood across a thin membrane, while the machine controls the flow and how much fluid is removed.

Dialysis doesn't cure kidney failure. For most people it continues long term, or until they get a kidney transplant. But once the routine settles, many people go back to work and a fairly normal week.

Our nephrology department runs the dialysis unit with individual patient stations, water treatment that meets international purity standards and trained nephrology nurses. A nephrologist reviews you at every session, and we keep a close eye on your dry weight, haemoglobin and blood chemistry in between.

Who it helps

Most people start dialysis because of end-stage kidney disease, usually after years of diabetes or high blood pressure. Others need it for a short time after sudden kidney failure, and their kidneys recover.

  • End-stage kidney disease, usually when kidney function (eGFR) falls to around 10 to 15 and symptoms appear
  • Fluid in the lungs or body that water tablets can no longer control
  • Dangerously high potassium or acid levels in the blood
  • Nausea, vomiting, itching or confusion from waste building up (uraemia)
  • Sudden kidney failure after a severe infection, dehydration, surgery or certain medicines
  • Some poisonings and drug overdoses, where dialysis can clear the substance

Treatment options

AV fistula

The preferred access. A surgeon joins an artery to a vein in your arm so the vein grows thick and strong enough for dialysis needles. It takes 6 to 8 weeks or more to mature, so it's best made well before you need dialysis. Read about AV fistula creation.

AV graft

A soft plastic tube joins an artery and a vein when your own veins are too small. It can be used within 2 to 3 weeks, but it clots and gets infected more often than a fistula.

Dialysis catheter

A tube placed in a large vein in the neck, used when dialysis has to start urgently. It works the same day, but infections are more common, so it's meant as a bridge until a fistula is ready.

Before you start

  • Plan your access early. If your kidney function is falling, ask about a fistula months before you're likely to need dialysis
  • Protect the veins in your non-dominant arm. Ask for blood tests, drips and BP cuffs on the other arm
  • Get vaccinated against hepatitis B and tested for hepatitis B, C and HIV, which every dialysis unit requires
  • Visit the unit and meet the dialysis team before your first session if you can
  • Meet a dietitian to plan your protein, salt, potassium, phosphorus and fluids
  • Check your insurance cover for dialysis. See the insurance and TPA panels we work with
  • On dialysis days, eat a light meal and wear a loose-sleeved top. Ask whether to skip any blood pressure tablets before the session

How treatment works

  1. 01

    Weighing in and checks

    You're weighed and your blood pressure and temperature are checked. Your weight compared with your dry weight (your weight without extra fluid) tells the team how much fluid to remove.

  2. 02

    Connecting to the machine

    A nurse cleans your fistula arm and places two needles, one to take blood out and one to return it. With a catheter, the lines connect without needles. A blood thinner stops clotting in the tubing.

  3. 03

    Cleaning the blood

    Your blood flows through the dialyser and straight back to you. Only a small amount is outside your body at any moment. You can read, watch something, chat or sleep.

  4. 04

    Monitoring

    The machine and nurses track your blood pressure and fluid removal throughout. If your pressure drops or you get cramps, the settings are adjusted.

  5. 05

    Finishing

    After about four hours, the blood in the tubing is returned to you, the needles come out and the sites are pressed until they stop bleeding. You're weighed again before going home.

Benefits and risks

Benefits

  • Removes waste, extra salt and fluid that failing kidneys can't
  • Brings dangerous potassium and acid levels under control
  • Eases breathlessness, swelling, nausea and itching
  • Lets many people work and live normally between sessions
  • Keeps you well while you're assessed for a kidney transplant

Possible risks

  • Low blood pressure during a session, causing dizziness or nausea, often when a lot of fluid has to come off
  • Muscle cramps, usually towards the end of a session
  • Tiredness for a few hours afterwards
  • A fistula that narrows or clots, needing a procedure to reopen it
  • Bloodstream infection, most often linked to catheters
  • Long-term problems such as anaemia, weak bones and itching, which your nephrologist treats with medicines

Life on treatment

Dialysis becomes part of your week rather than all of it. The first month is usually the hardest, while your body adjusts and you learn the routine.

  1. 01

    The first few sessions

    Early sessions may be shorter and gentler while your body gets used to having fluid and waste removed. Headaches and a washed-out feeling are common at first and usually settle within a few weeks.

  2. 02

    Settling into a routine

    Most people get a fixed slot three times a week, such as Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, and plan work and family around it.

  3. 03

    Fluid and food between sessions

    Whatever you drink stays in your body until the next session, so most people aim to gain no more than about 2 kg between sessions. Go easy on salt, and on high-potassium foods such as bananas, coconut water and tomatoes. Our dietitians build plans around the food you already eat.

  4. 04

    Looking after your fistula

    Feel for the buzz over your fistula every day. Don't let anyone take blood pressure or blood from that arm, and avoid tight sleeves, watches and sleeping on it.

  5. 05

    Monthly checks and the long term

    Monthly blood tests show how well dialysis is working and track your haemoglobin, calcium and phosphorus. If you're fit enough for a transplant, we'll handle the pre-transplant tests and coordinate with a transplant centre.

When to call your doctor

  • Breathlessness, especially when lying flat, or sudden swelling
  • No buzz over your fistula, or pain, redness or swelling around it
  • A needle site that keeps bleeding despite firm pressure
  • Fever or shivering, especially if you have a catheter
  • Palpitations, muscle weakness or numbness, which can mean high potassium

Call us on +91-8826000033 or come straight to our 24/7 emergency department.

Other options

Peritoneal dialysis

Uses the lining of your abdomen as the filter, with fluid exchanged through a soft tube at home every day. It means fewer hospital visits and suits people who can manage it themselves or with family help. Read about peritoneal dialysis.

Kidney transplant

For most people who are fit enough, a transplant gives the best long-term health. The kidney can come from a family member or the deceased-donor waiting list, and dialysis keeps you well in the meantime.

Care without dialysis

For some older or very frail people, dialysis adds little in length or quality of life. Treating symptoms without dialysis, with close support, is a reasonable choice to talk through openly with your nephrologist.

Talk to our Nephrology team

Ask about your options, the cost and your insurance before you decide. See the insurance and TPA panels we work with.

Book an Appointment+91-8826000033

This page explains Haemodialysis in general terms. Your own plan depends on your health, your test results and your doctor's advice. Please read our medical disclaimer.

Your care team

Haemodialysis is led by our Nephrology team, with other departments stepping in at each stage of your care.

Nephrology Department
Leads your treatment

Nephrology Department

At Prakash Hospital, our Nephrology Department delivers specialized care for kidney health, providing advanced diagnosis, treatment, and management for a wide range of kidney-related conditions to help you maintain optimal health and well-being.

What the department treats

Hemodialysis

Peritoneal Dialysis

Kidney Biopsy

CKD Management

Transplant Evaluation

Electrolyte Management

Visit the Nephrology department

Other departments involved

Cardiology

Looks after your heart and blood pressure, which kidney failure puts under strain.

Visit department

Diagnostic

Runs your monthly blood tests and hepatitis screening.

Visit department

Blood Bank

Arranges a blood transfusion if your anaemia becomes severe.

Visit department

Related procedures

Procedures often considered alongside Haemodialysis, or that treat related conditions.

AV Fistula Creation

A minor operation joining an artery to a vein in the arm to create lasting access for haemodialysis.

Peritoneal Dialysis

Home dialysis that uses the lining of the abdomen as a filter, with fluid exchanged through a soft tube every day.

Kidney Biopsy

A needle sample of kidney tissue that finds the cause of protein or blood in the urine, or of failing kidneys.

Urology

Kidney Stone Treatment

Medicines, shock waves, laser ureteroscopy or PCNL, chosen by the size and position of your stone.

Cardiology

Echocardiography

An ultrasound of the heart that shows how well it pumps and how the valves work. Painless and radiation-free.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to common questions about Haemodialysis at Prakash Hospital, Noida.

Is dialysis painful?

The filtering itself isn't painful. The fistula needles sting briefly, and a numbing cream helps. Some people get cramps or feel light-headed during a session, which the team can usually fix by adjusting the fluid removal.

Will I need dialysis for the rest of my life?

If your kidneys failed suddenly, they may recover and dialysis can stop. With end-stage kidney disease, you'll need it long term unless you have a kidney transplant.

How much water can I drink?

It depends on how much urine you still pass. A common starting point is about 500 ml a day plus your urine output, counting tea, dal, curd and other liquids. Your nephrologist will set your personal limit.

Can I keep working on dialysis?

Many people do, especially with early-morning or evening slots. Ask us about session times that fit around your job.

Can I travel while on dialysis?

Yes, with planning. Many dialysis centres in India and abroad accept visiting patients. Book slots a few weeks ahead and carry your latest reports, hepatitis status and dialysis prescription.

How long can someone live on dialysis?

It varies a lot with age and other illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease. Some people live for decades on dialysis. Sticking to your schedule, fluid limit and diet makes a real difference.

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