Your kidneys, each roughly the size of a fist and sitting just below your ribcage on either side of your spine, filter about 180 litres of blood every single day. They remove waste, balance fluid, regulate potassium and sodium, and keep your blood pressure from spiralling. When they lose more than 85 to 90 percent of this capacity, as happens in end-stage kidney disease, your body begins to accumulate toxins it simply cannot clear on its own. Dialysis steps in to do that job artificially. For many people in India, dialysis buys months, sometimes years, while they wait for a transplant, or it becomes a long-term management plan in itself.
Not every patient with kidney disease needs dialysis. In fact, many people live with chronic kidney disease for years without reaching that threshold. The decision to start dialysis is based on a constellation of factors, including your GFR (glomerular filtration rate, which reflects how well your kidneys filter), your symptoms, and how your body is responding overall.
We typically initiate dialysis when GFR drops below 10–15 ml/min/1.73m². But numbers alone don't drive the decision. If a patient is vomiting every morning, can't eat, has fluid collecting in the lungs or legs that isn't responding to medication, or shows signs of uremic encephalopathy, confusion, drowsiness, waiting further isn't safe. At that point, dialysis becomes urgent. Visit the best kidney dialysis hospital in Navi Mumbai – UMC Hospitals for further assistance.
There are two main types, and choosing between them depends on your health, your lifestyle, and, honestly, your home situation.
Haemodialysis
Peritoneal Dialysis
When a patient comes in for their first session, there's understandably some apprehension. A needle goes into the fistula, a surgically created connection, usually in the forearm, between an artery and a vein, which allows blood to flow at the high rates needed for dialysis. The machine runs quietly. Most patients read, sleep, or watch something on their phone. Mild cramping or a drop in blood pressure may occur, especially in early sessions. These usually become less frequent once the body adjusts. Blood pressure is monitored every 30 minutes throughout. A typical session removes roughly 2 to 3 litres of excess fluid, along with accumulated urea, creatinine, and electrolytes.
A soft catheter is placed surgically just below the navel. During each session, 1.5 to 2.5 litres of sterile dialysate fluid is infused into the abdominal cavity. Waste from surrounding blood vessels crosses the peritoneal membrane into this fluid over 4 to 6 hours, then it's drained and replaced. This can be done at home, three to four times daily, or overnight using an automated cycler machine. No needles each time. You do not need regular visits to our Department of Nephrology. But strict sterile technique is non-negotiable; peritonitis is a serious risk.
Common (especially in early weeks)
Most of these improve gradually as your body adjusts and the dialysis prescription is fine-tuned.
Less Common but Important
Dialysis removes waste between sessions, but what you eat and drink between those sessions determines how much waste accumulates. Potassium restriction is critical. Bananas, oranges, potatoes, and tomatoes, foods most Indian households eat daily, are often high in potassium and may need to be limited or prepared in specific ways (boiling vegetables and discarding the water reduces potassium content significantly).
Fluid restriction is equally important. Many patients are limited to about 500 to 700 ml over their daily urine output, roughly 1 to 1.5 litres in total for those who produce little urine. Phosphorus in dairy products and whole grains must also be monitored. This isn't about deprivation. It's about recalibrating. With the right guidance from a renal dietitian, most patients find a rhythm that works.
At UMC Hospitals, we offer the best dialysis treatment in Navi Mumbai, and our nephrology team works closely with dietitians, vascular surgeons for fistula creation, and other experts to make it possible. We understand that for many families in Navi Mumbai, dialysis represents a significant emotional and logistical shift. Our goal is to walk that path with you, with honesty, with planning, and without unnecessary alarm. If you or someone in your family has been told that kidney function is declining, please don't wait. Early conversations with a nephrologist can change the trajectory significantly.
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