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When the kidneys of a patient with polycystic kidney disease (PKD) fail and intervention is essential for maintaining kidney function, dialysis is usually initiated. Dialysis is the mechanical cleansing and filtering of the blood in lieu of the kidney when kidney failure sets in. There are two types of dialyses:

• Peritoneal dialysis
• Hemodialysis

Peritoneal Dialysis

This procedure consists of instilling a special fluid, called a dialysate through a catheter into the abdomen to absorb waste products from the blood. This may be performed independently at home every day. There are two types of peritoneal dialysis:

• Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) which is done on a continuous basis three or four times a day

• Continuous cyclic peritoneal dialysis where the blood is cleansed with a machine which operates at night while the patient sleeps

Peritoneal dialysis is not recommended for PKD patients because of the risk of infection.

Hemodialysis

This procedure requires placement of a vascular shunt (typically into the arm) for performing the dialysis. The blood circulates through a special dialysis machine that acts as an "artificial kidney" to remove waste products and toxins from the blood, and then the blood is returned to the individual through a different shunt. The procedure takes a few hours and is usually performed 3 times per week at a dialysis center.

Studies show that the overall health status of patients for each of these treatments is similar after one year. However, there are various parameters that patients may want to consider and discuss with their health care providers, (e.g., which provides a better quality of life, which requires more dietary restrictions, which is more affordable financially, etc.)