Definition: The process of filtering the blood, the way kidneys normally do, using a machine. A patient has two catheters, or small tubes, inserted. One catheter is placed in a vein and the other in an artery. The arterial catheter removes the blood from the patient where it then travels into a dialysis machine. The dialysis machine filters the blood to rid it of waste products, similar to the way the kidneys normally do. The filtered blood then returns to the patient through the venous catheter.
It can be used temporarily to allow kidneys to heal from short-term problems or while waiting for a kidney transplant. It can also be used for longer periods of time to prolong life when transplantion might not be appropriate.
Also Known As: renal dialysis, hemodialysis
