Children's Dialysis

Our Children's Dialysis Unit provides acute or chronic hemodialysis and/or peritoneal dialysis to inpatient and outpatient children from birth to 21 years of age. Many patients are referred to us from the Memorial Hermann Pediatric Nephrology Clinic and from physicians and other hospitals for specialized diagnostic care.

The dialysis unit is equipped to care for children with any medical or surgical problem. Our nephrology nurses are specially trained to work with neonatal and pediatric patients, and they stay current through continuing education. Close collaboration between our nurses and physicians enhances the quality of care our patients receive.
   

About Dialysis

Dialysis is a procedure performed routinely on people with acute or chronic renal failure. It removes waste substances and fluid from the blood that are normally eliminated by the kidneys. Dialysis may also be used to prevent renal failure in children who have been exposed to or have eaten toxic substances. There are two types of dialysis that may be performed on your child: peritoneal or hemodialysis.

Peritoneal dialysis is performed by surgically placing a special soft, hollow tube into your child's lower abdomen near the navel. After the tube is placed, a special solution called dialysate is administered into the peritoneal cavity. This cavity houses the organs of the abdomen and is lined by two membrane layers called the peritoneum.

The dialysate is left in the abdomen for a designated period of time, which is determined by your child's physician. The dialysate fluid absorbs waste products and toxins through the peritoneum. The fluid is then drained from the abdomen, measured and discarded.

We perform two types of peritoneal dialysis: continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and continuous cyclic peritoneal dialysis (CCPD).

CAPD does not require a machine. Exchanges, often referred to as “passes,” can be done three to five times a day during waking hours. CCPD requires the use of a special home dialysis machine that performs dialysis automatically, even while your child is asleep.

Hemodialysis is performed in the dialysis center of the hospital by trained health care professionals. A special type of access, called an arteriovenous (AV) fistula, is implanted, usually under your child's arm. An external intravenous (IV) catheter may also be inserted, but this is less common for long-term dialysis.

After access has been established, your child will be connected to a large hemodialysis machine that drains the blood, bathes it in a special dialysate solution to remove waste substances and fluids, then returns it to the bloodstream.

Hemodialysis is usually done several times a week and lasts for four to five hours. Because of the length of time required, it may be helpful to bring games or reading material for your child.

For more information, please call 713-704-6309.