What Is Dialysis? Dialysis (dye-AL-ih-sis) is a medical treatment that can take over the job of cleaning the blood when the kidneys can't. Why Do People Need Dialysis? The kidneys are fist-sized organs shaped like kidney beans. Their main job is to clean the blood. They take out extra water and waste (things the body doesn't need). These leave the body as pee (urine). If the kidneys don't work as they should, waste quickly builds up in the body and makes a person sick. When the kidneys stop removing enough waste and extra water from the blood, the person has kidney failure. Then, the person needs dialysis to clean the blood because the kidneys can't. Does Dialysis Cure Kidney Failure? Dialysis does the work of the kidneys to clean the blood, but it doesn't fix or cure kidney failure. Some kids with sudden or acute kidney failure need dialysis for a short time until the kidneys get better. But if chronic kidney disease turns into kidney failure, the child's kidneys will not get better. These kids need dialysis for life, unless they get a kidney transplant. What Are the Types of Dialysis? There are two types of dialysis: Hemodialysis (hee-moh-dye-AL-ih-sis): An artificial filter cleans the blood outside of the body. It's usually done in a special clinic called a dialysis center. Peritoneal dialysis (pair-eh-tih-NEEL dye-AL-ih-sis): This uses the lining of the belly as a filter. Often, it can be done at home. Both types of dialysis clean the blood, but in different ways. People who need dialysis work with their care team to decide on the best method. What Else Should I Know? Kids and teens getting dialysis still go to school, take part in most sports and activities, go to prom, and hang out with friends as they usually would. Dialysis doesn't have to slow them down. Back to Articles Related Articles Hemodialysis Hemodialysis is a medical treatment that uses a machine with a special filter to take waste and extra water out of the blood. Read More Peritoneal Dialysis This medical treatment helps people with kidney failure. It can be done at home, often overnight, to take over the kidneys' job of filtering blood. Read More When Your Child Has a Chronic Kidney Disease Parents of kids who have a chronic kidney disease often worry about what might happen next, how their child feels, and what treatments are likely to be involved. Find answers here. Read More Kidney Diseases in Childhood The kidneys play a critical role in health. When something goes wrong, it could indicate a kidney disease. What are kidney diseases, and how can they be treated? Read More When Your Child Needs a Kidney Transplant If your child needs a kidney transplant, you're probably feeling lots of emotions. Fortunately, many kids who undergo kidney transplants go on to live normal, healthy lives. Read More Kidneys and Urinary Tract The bean-shaped kidneys, each about the size of a child's fist, are essential to our health. Their most important role is to filter blood and produce urine. Read More Ultrasound: Renal (Kidneys, Ureters, Bladder) A renal ultrasound makes images of your child's kidneys, ureters, and bladder. Doctors may order this test if they suspect kidney damage, cysts, tumors, kidney stones, or complications from urinary tract infections. Read More Glomerulonephritis Glomerulonephritis happens when tiny filtering units in the kidneys stop working properly. Most cases get better on their own or with treatment. Read More Kidney Disease Sometimes, the kidneys can't do their job properly. In teens, kidney disease is usually due to infections, structural issues, glomerulonephritis, or nephrotic syndrome. Read More Dialysis Dialysis is a medical treatment that can take over the job of filtering the blood until a person's failing kidneys heal or are replaced with a kidney transplant. Find out more in this article for teens. Read More Hemodialysis Hemodialysis is the type of kidney dialysis that doctors use most to take over the kidneys' job of filtering the blood. Find out more in this article for teens. Read More Peritoneal Dialysis This medical treatment helps people with kidney failure. It can be done at home, often overnight, to take over the kidneys' job of filtering blood. Find out more in this article for teens. Read More Kidney Transplant If the kidneys stop working, a person will need either dialysis or a transplant. Get the facts on kidney transplant in this article for teens. Read More Kidneys and Urinary Tract The kidneys perform several functions that are essential to health, the most important of which are to filter blood and produce urine. Read More Your Kidneys You need at least one kidney to live. Find out why in this article for kids. Read More Glomerulonephritis With glomerulonephritis, tiny filtering units in the kidneys stop working properly, causing problems like too much fluid in the body and swelling. Most of the time it can be treated. Find out more. Read More Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. © 1995-2021 KidsHealth®. All rights reserved. Images provided by The Nemours Foundation, iStock, Getty Images, Veer, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com.