Comprehensive Dialysis Services
Dialysis services at Catholic Health are provided in one location for your convenience and include:
Hemodialysis
- Insertion, exchange and removal of catheters
- Placement of minimally invasive shunts
- Creation of arteriovenous fistulas
- Insertion of arteriovenous shunts
- Doppler testing for fistula function
- HeRO grafts for patients who have exhausted hemodialysis access sites
Peritoneal Dialysis
- Insertion, exchange and removal of catheters
- Revision and repair of non-functioning catheters
Maintenance Treatment
- Fistulagram, shuntogram and ultrasound imaging for detection of vascular access complications
- Thrombectomy for fistula/graft declotting
- Angioplasty to open damaged fistulas or grafts
Vascular Access: Placement and Maintenance
Before beginning dialysis, you will need to have a vascular access (the site on your body where the blood is removed, filtered and returned) created. We can usually create the vascular access in one visit. This visit takes about four to five hours and includes a consultation, an ultrasound and the placement of your vascular access for dialysis.
Once the vascular access is in place, it will need to heal for a few weeks before you can start your dialysis treatments. We will check that it is healing properly before you start dialysis.
Once you begin your dialysis treatments, you will schedule regular maintenance visits with us so we can ensure your vascular access stays healthy and usable. If you experience a complication with your vascular access, we can care for it immediately or the next business day.