The Rogosin Institute

Kidney Disease and dialysis

At The Rogosin Institute, we provide a number of options for our dialysis patients, including providing a mechanism for patients to conduct their own dialysis at home. This treatment is called Home Nocturnal Dialysis. It is a safe procedure patients can do themselves overnight while they sleep. It is working well for Henry, who is a Rogosin patient.

Henry has had a long relationship with Rogosin, beginning in 1984 when he had a transplant. Fifteen years later, he returned to dialysis after his new kidney failed. He tried conventional in-center hemodialysis and then peritoneal dialysis, but still did not feel as well as he expected he would. When Rogosin became one of the first centers to offer Home Nocturnal Dialysis, Henry tried it and found that it provided the well-being he had hoped for.

Henry recommends that patients undergoing dialysis consider home nocturnal dialysis carefully. "You feel better. You have more energy. You do things that you didn't think you could do before," Henry said. "You can eat whatever you want. And to me, that's important, because I love Chinese food and I love to eat!

In addition, some patients performing home nocturnal hemodialysis, do not need to take certain medications, such as phosphate binders or medicines for restless leg syndrome.

Rogosin patients who want to perform their dialysis overnight at home, receive extensive training until they are comfortable with the procedure. In fact, Rogosin staff monitors every dialysis over the internet and provides a network of support for patients 24 hours a day.

Most people perform home nocturnal dialysis six times a week while they sleep. And many patients, like Henry, feel better and find that it has advantages over other conventional forms of dialysis.

"It takes about 15 minutes to set up the machine. It gives you the flexibility to toss and turn but if you crimp the lines, the machine will alarm to tell you something's going on and you can just re-set the machine and go on with your treatment," Henry said.

Henry likes the reassurance that the Rogosin staff provides. "I can call them anytime, day or night, and there's always someone available. That's one of the best things about home nocturnal dialysis. They are around. If you have a problem - even if it's a problem with the machine - they know the machines. You call them up and they'll walk you through it. They are around 24 hours a day."

Henry believes that home nocturnal dialysis fits his lifestyle better than other forms. "The home nocturnal [dialysis] gives you the most freedom. And you feel the best."