Waste products are passed from your blood, across your peritoneal membrane, and absorbed into the dialysis fluid. When the fluid is drained out again it takes waste and extra fluid out of your body.
Dialysis is happening all the time because there is fluid in your abdomen until the next ‘exchange’. The fluid needs to be changed regularly. This can be done either by hand four times a day (known as CAPD) or by a machine overnight (known as APD).
© courtesy of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.
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