Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a type of dialysis treatment for chronic kidney failure (end-stage renal disease). Dialysis filters wastes and excess fluid and salt from the blood when the kidneys can no longer perform these roles.

With peritoneal dialysis the body’s own peritoneum (a membrane lining the abdominal cavity) serves as the filter. The most common form of PD does not require a machine, but other types of PD use a machine during the transfer procedure.  Before PD can begin, a surgeon permanently implants a tube in the abdomen.

During PD, cleansing solution called dialysate is poured through the tube to fill the abdominal cavity. The solution draws toxins and excess fluid through the peritoneum from the bloodstream. Though the abdomen is enlarged with fluid, the treatment does not cause pain. At the end of the session, the waste-filled solution is drained and discarded.

Several treatments, each lasting for hours, are usually needed daily. The schedule may include one or more overnight sessions while the person sleeps. In most cases, the patient is connected by a tube to a movable pole that holds the bagged solution. The patient or a caregiver can carry out PD at home, during work or on trips.

PD is not a cure for chronic kidney disease, and treatment usually continues for life unless a kidney transplant is possible. In some cases of acute kidney failure, PD may be used temporarily until renal function has been restored. 

Peritoneal dialysis is the less common of the two types of dialysis. In the other form, hemodialysis, blood is drawn from the body in a tube, passed through a filtering machine for cleansing and returned to the body.