dialysis
the use of a semipermeable MEMBRANE to separate large and small molecules by selective diffusion. Starch and PROTEINS are large molecules while salts, glucose and AMINO ACIDS are small molecules. If a mixture of large and small molecules is separated from distilled water by a semipermeable membrane, the smaller molecules diffuse into the water, which is itself replenished. This principle is the basis of the artificial KIDNEY , which, because a patient's blood is processed, is known as HAEMODIALYSIS .
When your kidneys are healthy, they clean your blood. They also make hormones that keep your bones strong and your blood healthy. When your kidneys fail, you need treatment to replace the work your kidneys used to do. Unless you have a kidney transplant, you will need a treatment called dialysis.
There are two main types of dialysis. Both types filter your blood to rid your body of harmful wastes, extra salt, and water.:
- Hemodialysis uses a machine. It is sometimes called an artificial kidney. You usually go to a special clinic for treatments several times a week.
- Peritoneal dialysis uses the lining of your abdomen, called the peritoneal membrane, to filter your blood.
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
dialysis