About
When your kidneys are healthy, they filter waste and extra fluid from your blood. But when they fail, you need treatment to replace the work your kidneys used to do. Dialysis treatment eliminates toxins and excess fluid from the blood in patients whose kidneys are no longer able to do so due to injury or disease.
Types of Dialysis
Hemodialysis is a process where the patient is physically connected to a machine that functions as an artificial kidney, which filters the blood and returns cleansed blood back to the body.
Another method, peritoneal dialysis, involves filtration of the blood through a process that relies on the patient’s inner abdominal tissue lining called the peritoneum. Using a specialized catheter, a solution known as dialysate is inserted into the abdominal cavity, absorbing toxins and fluid from the blood. The catheter is a flexible, hollow tube about the size of a straw that is surgically placed in your lower abdomen. Small tubing is left outside the body that can be covered when not used.
At Medical Group of the Carolinas – Vascular Access Services, we offer the latest procedures in dialysis access, and we carefully evaluate our patients to determine the best possible treatment for each individual.
Dialysis Access Procedures Offered
- Percutaneous and open arteriovenous (AV) fistula placement
- Arteriovenous (AV) graft placement
- Laparoscopic peritoneal dialysis catheter placement
- Tunneled hemodialysis catheter placement
- Access repair, revision and maintenance
- Endovascular procedures, including:
- Thrombectomy of clotted fistulas and grafts
- Angiography and angioplasty
- Treatment of the central venous system
Our practice is a member of Medical Group of the Carolinas (MGC), a large multi-specialty physician group serving Upstate South Carolina and parts of North Carolina. MGC doctors are dedicated to meeting your healthcare needs, from wellness and prevention to the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses.