Dialysis treatments

My kidneys are no longer working: what treatment is possible?

In healthy people, the kidneys filter metabolic waste products from the blood and regulate the water balance. This produces urine, which is excreted via the bladder. If a person's own kidneys are no longer able to do this, a kidney replacement procedure is necessary to cleanse the blood. There are basically three ways to "replace the kidneys":

Hemodialysis: this treatment can be performed in a center (hospital or outpatient unit) or at home (home hemodialysis).
Peritoneal dialysis: this treatment is also carried out at home.
Kidney transplantation: this treatment requires an operation. A foreign kidney is transplanted into the patient's own body. You can find more information here.

Locations for dialysis

For referrers

What is dialysis?

Dialysis is a blood purification procedure in which the body's metabolic waste products (commonly known as toxins) and excess water are removed from the body. We distinguish between hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.

Hemodialysis

In hemodialysis, a small amount of blood is continuously drained from the body and purified outside the body with the help of a special filter (the so-called dialyzer). As the blood flows through the filter, toxins and excess water are filtered out. The purified blood is then returned to the body. This process is painless.

The duration of dialysis treatment depends on the doctor's prescription. As a rule, dialysis patients come for dialysis three times a week for around four hours, either in the morning or in the afternoon. Additional time should be scheduled for preparation and follow-up of the dialysis treatment.

You can find more information about hemodialysis here.

Peritoneal dialysis or CAPD

In peritoneal dialysis (technical term: continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, abbreviated to CAPD), the naturally occurring peritoneum is used as a filter system (i.e. dialyzer). In this dialysis procedure, the abdominal cavity is filled with a special solution (the so-called dialysate, usually 1-2 liters) via a catheter surgically inserted into the abdominal wall. As a rule, the dialysate remains in the abdominal cavity for several hours and cleanses the blood and removes excess water from the body in an exchange process. The dialysate is then drained out of the abdominal cavity via the catheter and replaced with fresh dialysate. This process is also painless.

You can find more information on peritoneal dialysis here.

Vacation dialysis

Are you planning a short trip or vacation in the Basel area? The University Hospital Basel offers you three locations for vacation dialysis:

The dialysis center at the University Hospital Basel
The Bethesda Hospital Dialysis Center
The dialysis practice in Reinach, BL

The three locations give you the choice of carrying out your vacation dialysis "in the middle of the city of Basel" or "in the rural periphery". Our staff offer personal care in German, French, Italian and English.

All three locations are easily accessible by public or private transportation. Parking spaces are available.

We look forward to receiving your registration in good time:

Registration for vacation dialysis

Where can I have dialysis treatment?

Dialysis treatment can be carried out either at home (as peritoneal dialysis or home hemodialysis) or on site (at the University Hospital Basel or at an outpatient clinic, see below):

Dialysis unit, University Hospital Basel

Bethesda Hospital dialysis unit

Reinach dialysis unit