Peritoneal Dialysis (Home PD)

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a home-based form of renal replacement therapy that uses the patient's own peritoneal membrane — the lining of the abdominal cavity — as a natural filter to remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood. It offers patients with end-stage kidney disease a flexible, effective alternative to in-centre haemodialysis, enabling them to perform dialysis in the comfort of their own home, often overnight while they sleep.

PD is delivered through a soft, flexible catheter surgically placed into the abdominal cavity. Dialysis fluid (dialysate) is infused through the catheter, dwells in the peritoneal cavity for a set period during which diffusion and osmosis occur across the peritoneal membrane, and is then drained and replaced. Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) involves four manual exchanges per day, while automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) uses a cycling machine to perform exchanges overnight, freeing the patient's daytime hours.

SilverOak Health's PD programme provides comprehensive patient and carer training over two to three weeks, ensuring confidence and competency before home treatment commences. A specialist PD nurse conducts regular home visits and clinic reviews, monitoring for peritonitis — the most significant PD complication — and optimising dialysis adequacy through periodic kinetic modelling. Nutritional support from our renal dietitian, psychological support, and 24-hour telephone nursing access complete our holistic PD support model. PD is particularly suited to patients who are self-sufficient, value lifestyle flexibility, have preserved residual kidney function, or are awaiting kidney transplantation.